


Worship the Ground He Walks On

by PocketCorythosaurus



Category: Treasure Planet (2002)
Genre: Blow Jobs, Captain Jim, Consent is Sexy, Exhibitionism, Jim likes to be in charge, M/M, Masturbation, Mentions of Sexual Violence- Not explicit, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Reunion Fic, Sex Pollen, Slow Burn, little bit of pining, mild dubcon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-06-11 20:23:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15323571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PocketCorythosaurus/pseuds/PocketCorythosaurus
Summary: Five years after Treasure Planet and Jim has graduated the Naval Academy, somehow. Now he's faced with more decisions about which path to turn down. All Jim knows is that he hasn't been able to stop thinking about John Silver, and the time they spent together. Captain Amelia approaches him with a small undercover mission, to infiltrate a galactic drug smuggling ring. Jim selects a crew of classmates, but leaves a position for one very important cyborg.





	1. Chapter 1

Jim was sitting at a bar on Crescentia nursing a whiskey in his starched dress whites, and hoping to get so drunk that he could forget his future. That day had been the Royal Naval Academy Commencement Ceremony, and the brass medallion the Dean had pinned on his lapel still sat there shining. Jim had been all bright smiles, celebrating with Sarah, B.E.N, and Dr. Doppler.

The reality hadn’t hit him until he left his snug Academy quarters, now cleaned out and empty. He had an opportunity to become a midshipman on a Navy ship. The problem is that Jim didn’t think he was cut out for a Naval career. But if he turned that down, Jim didn’t have a back-up plan. He had a couple days to accept the offer and leave Crescentia spaceport, but Jim still couldn’t decide if he actually wanted the position. He took another sip of whiskey, reflecting on his options, and hoping to find some way forward.

Making it through the Naval Academy hadn’t come easy, while Jim had talents for navigation and weapons training, his free spirited natured hadn’t served him well in the military environment. Jim had rankled under the thumb of authority, taking orders for four years. He couldn’t imagine doing it for the rest of life. He had come close to expulsion several times at the Academy for speaking up, sneaking off, and fighting. Jim’s grades had also been mediocre for the most part. If it hadn’t been for his natural talents for sailing, and connections with Captain Amelia, Jim definitely wouldn’t have made it all the way to Commencement.

When Jim thought about what he wanted to do with his future the only thing that came to mind was a golden flash of a cyborg eye. Silver hadn’t been far from his thoughts in the past five years. His time on the _Legacy_ seemed like another life, one with more adventure by far. Silver’s presence still haunted Jim’s dreams. Sometimes they would be nightmares, the cyborg’s eye flashing red and a sword replacing his right arm. But more often Jim would dream Silver as a softer figure, telling his stories with the occasional booming laugh. Some days it felt like Jim had a hole in his gut, trying to drag him across the galaxy to wherever Silver was. The lure of unfinished business together, a missing father figure, or maybe something more. Jim couldn’t identify it, but thoughts of Silver had kept him going, even when the Academy had made him feel more alone than he had ever been.

Yeah, Jim was well and truly fucked. He reached to pull the cropped hair at the nape of his neck, a nervous habit acquired when he had cut his rattail off to enter the Academy.  His choices seemed to be taking a Navy job, and hope he didn’t get himself kicked off in the near future. Or turn to a life of crime in hopes of reconnecting with a missing cyborg. Both sounded equally improbable. Instead of trying to think more on it, Jim flipped one of his coppers on the bar, and got another whiskey.

Drinking wouldn’t solve his problems, but it would at least help him keep them at an arm’s length.

Jim woke up with a throbbing headache, to an incessant knocking. After more than a couple drinks he had rented out one of the small rooms above the bar for the night. Luckily it wasn’t too grimy in the morning light, though it wasn’t luxurious by any standard. He stretched, his back making an alarming amount pops, and went to get the door.

He opened it to reveal a ragamuffin in mid-knock. “Whatcha want?” Jim asked, mouth still fuzzy from his hangover.

“Got a message here for a Mr. Hawkins, from Captain Amelia.” The kid replied.

Jim grabbed it and flipped the messenger a coin from his rapidly thinning wallet.

He opened the message. _Mr. Hawkins, Please come at your earliest convenience. I wish to discuss a matter of employment._

Jim looked down at his crumpled dress whites, and the late morning sun streaming in through the window. “Fuck,” he muttered under his breath as he rushed to get to the Academy.

Ten minutes later he was outside Captain Amelia’s office, breathing hard. He had nearly sprinted across port with the duffle bag containing his worldly goods. If he hadn’t just graduated Jim would have surely earned a demerit or two for disorderly appearance. He tied his hair back into a high knot, trying to at least salvage that, and knocked on the door.

“You’re late, Hawkins.” Captain Amelia from her place at a bookshelf said as he sat down in front of her desk. Jim felt like a first year again, sent up for his demerits.

“Can’t a new Naval Academy graduate celebrate for a night?” Jim said, even though celebration was _maybe_ an exaggeration of his solitary drinking.

“Yes, yes. Congratulations, Hawkins.” Amelia said, as she settled into her leather captain’s chair. “Hopefully I have another piece of good news for you.”

“The note mentioned employment, do you have a post for me on your ship?”

“Not quite. I have something that I think would fit your unique skill set better than that.” She said, lifting her eyebrows to emphasize the word unique,

Jim was interested; a nontraditional position in the Navy sounded a hell of a lot better than midshipman. At the very least he would be outside the normal chain of command. “Thank you for the consideration, what is this post?”

“The Royal Navy has become aware of a drug smuggling ring. They call themselves Anax. While their influence does not yet reach Crescentia, they have a stronghold on many other galaxies. The Navy wishes to send a small craft as spies to infiltrate the smuggling ring in the Serratia Galaxy. This would be an undercover privateering mission, and we’re seeking a crew of nontraditional spacers for it.”

Jim’s ears perked up as Amelia talked, the small mission sounded perfect, and privateering! He would be outside of the usual strict rules of engagement and Naval hierarchy. “Captain, I would gladly accept a spot on the mission.” He said, trying to keep the excitement out of his voice.

“Hawkins, I’m recommending you for a position as Captain of the mission.” Amelia said, with a gentle smirk.

Jim’s jaw nearly dropped open. To go on the mission was one thing, but to lead it was another entirely. He would be free to make his own calls, to choose his own future. “But, I don’t even have experience. I’m honored by your faith, but I can’t be qualified to command a mission.”

Amelia sighed, “I know it isn’t ideal, but undercover missions with older operatives have been exposed almost immediately. Our intel says that most members of Anax are younger, so somebody around your age might fit in more easily. Out of all the Academy graduates this year you have more experience in combat, and with unsavory types.” Amelia raised an eyebrow at that, delicately referring to the pirates that had tried to kill both of them five years prior in the Treasure Planet expedition. “Most new midshipmen spend years around safe ports before actually venturing into the Etherium. You’re one of the few who’s actually dealt with real danger.”

Jim couldn’t help but be floored that his teenage adventure somehow qualified him to take on leadership for a very important undercover assignment. At the same time, he wasn’t going to let a chance like this slip through his fingers. “If you truly believe I’m the best fit, I’m in.”

“Very good Hawkins, as part of the position I need you to recruit a crew. Choose spacers with a varied skillset, who will work well with your unorthodox mission. And above all Hawkins, trust them with your life.”

Jim knew Amelia was once again reflecting on their time on board the _Legacy,_ and how a poorly selected crew had almost gotten them both killed. He had an inkling of who he wanted to recruit from his peers, but there was only one person in the galaxy he would trust with his life.

 

….

 

The afternoon took Jim to a portside tavern. He had sent out a couple messages to some old classmates, and was happy to find that none of them had shipped off with the Navy yet.

The first to come in to meet him was Dane. Jim got up to give her a hug, pounding a hand in her back. Dane had been his partner in crime more often than not at the Academy, and they had spent hours together scrubbing floors and polishing windows when they got caught.

Appearance wise Dane was humanoid, but had the large ears and upturned nose of a bat. She had spiky dark hair cut short, and ashy brown skin. She was also the biggest flirt Jim had ever met, and would hit on anything with legs. After their first detention together the pair had ended up sleeping

She pulled away, “So Hawkins, what’s this big secret mission you have? Decided to turn pirate after all?”

“Honestly you’re almost on the money there,” he replied with a smirk. “Wait and see, I’ll share when everybody gets here.”

“The anticipation is killing me. I’ll have to get a drink to settle my nerves.” Dane replied, sauntering over to the bar. She gave the barmaid a quick once over and a wink as she ordered, coming back to the table with two bottles of beer.

The next two came in together. Maron and Lucette both had curled sheep’s horns, and fluffy black curls against pale blue skin, but it was there that the resemblance ended. Maron had to duck to get through the doorway, whereas Lucette barely cleared Jim’s shoulder. The pair was brother and sister, and they were an unstoppable team together. Maron, besides being strong, was also a mechanical genius. He was a quiet person, but swore like an old spacer. Lucette carried herself with confidence, and was an accomplished speaker, after spending most of her life talking for her older brother as well as herself. While she could come across as delicate and fanciful, Jim trusted her absolutely on a ship. She had proved herself able to learn quickly, and had become one of the Academy’s best spacers.

The four settled down at the table, drinking and chatting. The talk was light, skirting around the bigger issue of _why are we even here?_ Jim kept quiet, trying to measure to mood in the air and see which way they would turn. He was getting on edge, nervous that one of his picks hadn’t worked, when the fourth and final person on his list walked through the doorway.

Tysha was reptilian in nature, with long fingers, claws and a prehensile tail. She was an excellent navigator, her parents were merchants, who took her traveling all across the Etherium. It didn’t hurt that Tysha’s second pair of eyes could see far beyond the spectrum visible to humans, letting her see details in the space between the stars. She was also known at the Academy for her prickly personality. She had eventually warmed to Jim, but only after a notorious prank feud between them in their first year.

With the five of the sitting at the table Jim felt that he could finally hold out the breath he had been holding. These four had trusted him enough to meet, without any whisper of why. They could be giving up guaranteed naval careers. But, if Jim had played his cards right, chances were they were just as eager as he was to escape conventionality and start adventuring.

“As I mentioned in my note to you all, I want to offer you all a business proposition—“

Jim was cut off by Tysha, who drawled, “Don’t waste time on the fluff Hawkins, we showed up, now tell us what’s at the heart of the matter.”

“I’m not going to be joining to Navy, and I need a crew.”

Dane grinned widely, “That’s more like it! Knew you’d be too wild to join up. How in hell did you manage to get a ship though?”

Jim replied, “I’ve been offered a job as a privateer captain.” He could see Lucette’s eyes shining, Dane was still grinning. Tysha and Maron were harder to read though. “The Navy wants to send a small crew to break up a drug smuggling ring, and Captain Amelia has put my name forward. It will be dangerous, the other crews sent out haven’t made it back.”

Tysha snorted, “How’s a green boy like you supposed to get an espionage position? Especially when nobody else has managed it.”

“Honestly I don’t know either. They’re getting desperate from the sound of it. But I swear, we could do this.” Jim shrugged, and pulled a signed letter of recommendation out of his jacket pocket, passing it around the table.

Tysha’s eyes widened at the official seal, and she gave a small nod, letting him continue.

"Obviously it’s unusual. I know that I don’t have the experience, but I hope you guys will trust me. I wanted you to be my crew here; each of you has an astounding skillset. But more importantly, I know you’re all looking for a spark.” He looked around, at faces familiar from late night study session, and later night bar crawls. They had broken rules together, and helped each other through the punishments that came their way. “I’m looking for something bigger than a pressed uniform and being told what to do. I want to make my own path. Do you want in or not?”

Maron was the first to speak, “Sign me the fuck up Hawkins. Just one question, where the hell are we headed?”

“Have any of you guys heard of Anax?” Jim asked, receiving only blank stares from the rest of his teammates. “They’re based in the Serratia galaxy, and word is that you don’t want to mess with them. They’ve already managed to evade all the Naval missions sent out after them.”

Dane let out a low whistle, “Damn we’re really up against some big guns. Still, I’d go through hell, as long as you went first, Hawkins. I’m in.”

The rest were quick to agree. They were an odd crew, but Jim needed an odd crew for an odd mission. And besides, underneath all the black marks for bad behavior, each of them had been exemplary at the Academy. Jim knew they wouldn’t step down from a challenge.

Dane hugged him on the way out, “I was worried I wouldn’t get a chance to use this beauty.” She said, flipping a large knife out of its sheath. “Good to know I’ll be seeing some action yet. Tysha had given him a rare smile as she headed back. Lucette was the last to leave, “It means a lot Jim, they were going to split us up you know. I didn’t think I would be able to take the spot.” She strolled out with Maron, giving him a wave over her shoulder.

           

….

 

That afternoon Jim found himself back in Captain Amelia’s office presenting the list of crew to her. She scanned the list and signatures of the spacers he had recruited, before looking up at him.

“I expected unconventional Hawkins, and you’ve certainly me given that.”

“Captain, I know they aren’t valedictorian material, but you can’t deny each of them is more than capable of sailing on a mission like this. They’re going to able to think outside the box, and learn fast.”

“No, I never doubted you, Hawkins. In fact, I’m more comfortable with this crew than ‘valedictorian material’. Improvisation is half of espionage, and I think you all are up to task.”

Jim felt a flush of pride at that, “We won’t let you down captain.”

“Now I’m going to a council meeting to fight for you leading that mission. Nobody else has put forward any worthwhile ideas, so expect to meet me down at the docks tomorrow.” Amelia left, straightening her jacket and putting on her hat with a smile at Jim.

Jim couldn’t help humming as he walked back to his dockside rooms, hopefully for the last time. The bar was lively, but he declined a drink, wanting to keep a clear head for the morning. Jim headed to his room on the second floor to pack his bags, and get ready to leave. One way or another, he was leaving Crescentia and not coming back.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading so far! This fic will be updated weekly, hopefully until the start of September. My schedule will be more hectic after that, so I can't promise regular updates. As of posting the firs three chapters are written and proofread, and the fourth chapter is more than halfway done. Altogether it's ~9k words. I have the next few chapters and an ending pretty well planned out as well, but am still figuring out some things in the middle. I can't give an estimate to the length of the finished fic, but expect at least 8 chapters. 
> 
> Again, thanks for reading. Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated! I know my writing is far from perfect, so it makes me happy to know if you guys enjoyed it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim wants Silver on board, he just has to convince everybody else.

Jim and his crew met Amelia down at the Navy docks in the morning. All of them had brought their bags, ready to embark. Amelia was dressed as sharply as ever, and she was standing by a small schooner, shiny and sleek.

“Hawkins, this will be your vessel. This is the _RLS Reverence._ She’s top of the line, and this is her first voyage out of protected port.”

Jim couldn’t help fall in love with the _Reverence_ at first sight. This ship was fast, and exciting. She would handle like a dream, even with a small crew. Any spacer would have given their hat to sail her across the Etherium. He couldn’t believe the Naval council had given a bunch of green graduates such a boon. “I’ll bring her back without even a scratch Captain, you can count on it.”

“See that you do Jim, because I’ve got dibs on her next.” Amelia said with a smile and a wink as she led the group on board.

Maron headed belowdecks to the engine rooms, and Jim could hear a low whistle of approval as he saw the top of the line machinery. Tysha had scrambled up into the rigging, naturally as walking. Jim could make her out in the crow’s nest, looking down onto the deck below. Lucette had gravitated towards the helm, testing the responsiveness of the steering. As for Dane, she had somehow already made it down into the armory, and seemed to be adding to the stash of knives concealed on her person.

Jim reached out to give Amelia a handshake, and then pulled her into a hug. “Thank you so much, I don’t know what I’d do without this opportunity.”

Amelia laughed, “Don’t worry Hawkins, I think it’s in my best interest that you stay in Naval employ. It would surely test me if I ever had to hunt you down.”

She left with a wave, letting the new Captain Hawkins and his crew get the _Reverence_ ready to sail.

Jim and Lucette set to inspecting every part of the ship, making lists for supplies, and notes on where to store them for the long journey. Before he went to pick them up, Jim brought his crew in a meeting in the snug galley.

“I’m sure you’ve noticed that schooners of this size were typically crewed with six people?” He asked, noticing nods all around.

Tysha replied, “Yeah, we figured somebody didn’t come through. It was a close call that I even decided to come on. Me and Dane have been taking bets as to who flaked out.”

Jim shook his head, “I do have somebody in mind for a sixth crewmember, but it’s not anybody at the Academy.” He paused, letting the other mull over his words, “We need an insider, somebody who knows about the black market dealings, somebody with connections. Nobody is going to take a bunch of young spacers seriously if we go into this blind.”

Dane started guffawing, “Dear lord, I can’t believe I’m being asked to join a crew with Long John Silver!”

Jim’s expression quickly switched to confusion, how had she managed to figure it out so quickly? He hadn’t talked about Silver at the Academy, didn’t even mention how close they had become.

Lucette saw the expression on his face, “Oh, but of course Jim! We’ve all heard the stories, about how Silver saved you and gave up the treasure. There had been whispers of him seeking the treasure for decades! And then the _Legacy_ comes back with no gold, but through a gigantic portal, it had to be true!”

Jim groaned internally, he hadn’t realized that the story of what had happened on the _Legacy_ had managed to spread sofar. “It’s true that I wouldn’t have made it back alive without Silver. But he wouldn’t have survived without me either. So yeah, I think I trust him more than your average smuggler.”

Tysha added in, “It’s not like any of us have any underworld contacts, I don’t think the card shark who keeps fleecing Dane counts.” Dane shot an angry glance in Tysha’s direction at that remark.

“It’s a good plan, if you trust him Jim, I’ll trust him.” Maron said.

That pretty much settled the matter, and now Jim was left wondering how in the world he had convinced his crew to sail with one of the most notorious pirates in the galaxy.

“There’s just a couple more problems, I have no clue where to find him, or how to convince him to join up.” Jim said, looking around the table for insight

“Yeah, I suppose the gift of our presence isn’t quite enough to make a wanted smuggler join the Navy.” Dane said, and continued in a tone heavy with entendre, “Although I supposed I could sweeten the deal.”

“Oh yeah, I’m sure tits is a good reason to get yourself arrested.” Tysha scoffed.

Dane shrugged, “I mean I’ve done some pretty crazy things…”

Lucette interrupted, “What if he didn’t have to be arrested?”

“Of course he’s going to be arrested, he’s a pirate!” Tysha responded.

“But he could be pardoned, anyway he’s been lying low for the past couple years. Statute of limitations has probably passed on most of the bigger stuff.” Lucette said, showing that she had probably been the only one of them paying attention in Lawful Conduct lectures.

Maron sucked in a breath through his teeth, “She’s got a point. Doesn’t mean it’s not a hell of a thing to ask for.”

Jim was hesitant, “I’ve already gotten so much because of Amelia, and I don’t know if I can ask her for it.”

“You know as well as the rest of us, we need more intel about Anax. A bunch of Academy graduates aren’t exactly cut out for criminal activity, even with our proclivity for pranks.” Dane pushed, “You have to at least put the idea to her.”

“You just need to make it sound like it’s in the Navy’s best interest.” Tysha said, “Spin it as integral to success of the mission, while at the same time getting out hands on a major criminal.”

“Yeah, with the way he’s fallen off the map, more intel on Silver is probably valuable as well.” Lucette added, “Even if they can’t lock him up, they probably still have some question for him about Flint’s treasure.”

“The rest of the world certainly does.” Jim said, thinking back to the interrogations with the Navy. “I swear they bring me back every year and ask questions to make sure I didn’t make it up.”

“Just ask her. Can’t hurt.” Maron said, making a decision for the group.

“I mean there’s my reputation…” Jim said with a self-deprecating laugh. “Don’t want to be known as the guy who keeps fraternizing with pirates.”

Dane punched Jim on the shoulder, “Come on, you didn’t have one of those to start with. It’s for the good of the cause here.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll make my case.” Jim got up from the table and wandered over to the hatch, “But you all have to load up and stow supplies while I’m gone!”

Jim walked the familiar path back to the Academy, rehearsing his argument in his head. It had seemed a lot easier when all of his crewmembers were there agreeing with him. Amelia was going to be a much harder sell. She had no reason to trust Silver like he did, and even less to forgive the smuggler. Not to mention Jim still didn’t have a plan for how to find Silver if by some miracle he did get a pardon. That being said, thinking too far ahead would only lead him in circles. Jim just had to take it one problem at a time.

Before he had had time to work out how to bring up the subject, Jim found himself in front of Amelia’s door. Amelia looked up from her paperwork, surprised to see him for the second time that day.

“Is everything running smoothly with the _Reverence_ Hawkins?” she asked, motioning him to sit down.

Jim sat, pulling his chair towards her. “Not quite Captain, I came to ask a favor.”

“And what sort of favor may that be? She certainly seemed shipshape when I was there.” Amelia’s eyes narrowed.

“It’s a matter of the crew, I would like to fill the sixth spot on the expedition.”

Amelia started rummaging through a desk drawer, “I did compile a shortlist of qualified personnel, I would happy to recommend any of them.”

“Actually I already have an idea about who I’d like to recruit.”

Amelia stopped rummaging and fixed a withering gaze upon Jim, who suddenly felt like he had shrunk a couple inches. “Please tell me you aren’t about to ask what I think you are Hawkins.”

“I was hoping you could help me procure a Naval Pardon.”

Amelia nearly hissed out the next words, “And how would a pardon help with recruitment of personnel, Hawkins?”

Jim could barely keep a tremble out of his voice as he answered, “I believe it will provide the necessary incentive to recruit a sixth member.”

“You could take your pick of the Royal Naval Academy, and yet you want a criminal! Hawkins, have you lost you mind? I tolerated the unconventional choices so far, but this is too much.” Amelia had a cool, controlled anger. Jim had rarely been at the receiving end of such a force, and only the thought of failure could get him to argue.

“You’ve read the Naval files on Anax, I don’t have enough information to make a convincing story. I need an inside source, somebody who they already trust. If not, I’m likely to end up as dead as all the others who have been sent to investigate this.”

“You can bribe informants, take time to gather reconnaissance. I don’t see why you need to take the risk of bringing an unknown criminal on board. He could easily turn on you and your crew. You could lose your ship, but more importantly your life, Jim.”

“Captain Amelia, I’m not going to bring an unknown character onboard.”

“Hawkins, I don’t believe this to be a wise idea under any circumstances.” Her eyes narrowed, and Jim knew that she had a pretty good idea of what he was suggesting.

“I want the pardon for John Silver.”

“That man tried to kill both of us, we only narrowly escaped! Why would you seek him out?”

“Captain, you said I had to choose people I trusted with my life. He saved my life, choosing it over the treasure of a thousand worlds. I think he might prove more loyal to me than anybody else in the galaxy.”

“Or he just couldn’t have lived with himself for killing an innocent in cold blood.” Amelia responded, sighing heavily. “Just because you formed a bond with him then, doesn’t mean anything now. Why try to chase Silver down?”

Jim couldn’t bring himself to say that hardly a day had passed since leaving the _Legacy_ when he hadn’t thought of Silver. The man was in his thoughts, his dreams, Jim know down to his core that there was unfinished business between them. He would see that old spacer again, whatever it took. “Because he’s the only chance I’ve got. We both know he’s smart enough to get me in, and he’s the only smuggler I can trust to get me out again.”

“Hawkins, I think you may be truly insane to consider this option. However, you have somehow made a relatively convincing case. I’ll think on it.“

Jim’s heart soared at the words, he had a chance, it was slim, but at least it was something.

Amelia continued, “I’ll let you know by sundown tomorrow. Now get out of my office. This is asking a lot of me, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to call in any more favors.” Her tone was warmer, but Jim knew he didn’t dare ask anything of her.

“Thank you Captain, I’ll owe you several favors after this.”

“I won’t be shy about calling them in Hawkins, now get back to your ship.”

Jim’s step was light as he made his way back to the docks. He was going to find Silver again. They were going to be a team, working together. How many times had he wanted to ask the old cyborg for advice, for leadership? The tugging in his gut was starting to make itself felt, telling him to go to the stars, search for the only man he could trust. Jim just hoped he could trust his gut as well, and that hopefully he would know how to find Silver in the vastness of the Etherium.

He found himself back at the _Reverence_ quickly, too distracted by the swirling thoughts inside his head. When Jim got there he was pleased to see that the others had managed to handle the supplying of the ship. He gravitated towards the snug galley, where he set to putting it in order. The tasks of arranging the pantry, polishing up the pots and pans, and rubbing the woodwork until it gleamed set his mind at ease.

Lucette was the only one who approached him, only raising an eyebrow questioningly.

Jim replied, “She didn’t say no.” He barely had to gesture at Lucette to leave before she had slipped out of the galley to spread the news. Jim was thankful nobody came down to interrogate him more about the news. Right now he just needed to keep his hands busy, and try to quiet his mind. Falling back into the familiar routines of the cabin boy happened unconsciously, but it stopped Jim from panicking and considering the what-ifs.

By the time night had fallen he was up on the deck, recoiling the rope into neater piles. The rest of the crew were sleeping, or at least sticking to themselves. The quiet before the storm hung over the ship, as everybody reflected on the mission, and the reality of it. What had started as a farfetched idea, had taken shape, and tomorrow they would be sailing out to face it.

As Jim sat by his coil, running the rough fibers through his fingers, he glanced up at the stars of the Etherium twinkling above. He missed the thrill of being up there with them, sailing through nebulas and watching the glittering trail form off the sides of the ship. As he stared, his gaze tracing the familiar constellations, Jim could swear he saw flashes of gold, shining in the night sky.

When dawn broke Jim found an envelope shoved under the door to his cabin. He opened it with shaking fingers, pulling out the heavy parchment inside. He opened it to reveal a Naval pardon, signed, sealed, and made out for John Silver. Jim read it three times, trying to process what he was seeing. Somehow, he had done it. He was going to find Silver, and work together once again. Jim almost pinched himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming, but then decided that even if he was dreaming, it wasn’t worth waking up.

Inside the envelope was also a note, written on a scrap of paper. _Good luck Hawkins –A._

Jim rung the ships bell, calling out excitedly “All hands on deck, we’re casting off!” Making his way over to the helm, he grasped it tenderly as a lover. Maron had the engines up and running quickly, Dane and Tysha were up in the rigging unfurling the sails, and Lucette was on deck, casting off the mooring line.

With a final tug the _Reverence_ was free. She handled beautifully, responding to Jim’s slightest touch as he gently nudged her away from the docks.

“Lucette, set coordinates for the Serratia system, we’re picking up an old friend!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading. I've been really blown away at the amount of support you all have given this story, as well as my other works. Hopefully this chapter continues to impress. I know a lot of OC's aren't everybody's cup of tea, but when working with a pretty limited cast of characters you gotta do something. Unless you guys would have preferred B.E.N. instead.
> 
> As far as the story goes, Ch. 4 is finished and Ch. 5 is started, so regular updates are in the cards for the next few weeks. More than 10k words are written already, and I'm still in the first movement of the story. I'm just really excited about this, and hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I like writing it.


	3. Chapter 3

Somehow Jim thought that finding Silver would have been easier. The cyborg had been lying low, and even though they had been searching for almost a month, Jim had yet to get any solid information on where he had holed up.

He called out to Tysha on the helm, “We’ll be heading into port tonight, try to put out some feelers again.”

Tysha hesitated a half beat before responding, “Sure, Cap.” She started making navigational adjustments, her face schooled to be carefully blank.

Jim started heading below decks, he knew that the crew was beginning the chafe under the fruitless search; hell he was beginning to chafe too. They had sunk a lot of time into this search for Silver, and Jim wanted as much as anybody to get something done. The problem was he wasn’t sure where to go next. All the time he had spent looking for Silver, had also been looking for info on the drug smuggling ring. Most people had been tightlipped on both matters through, even after being plied with gold and drink.

He met Dane in the galley, “We’ll be going to port tonight, start getting ready to head out.” Jim and Dane had worked out a two-person system in their hunt for information. The pair would go to a seedy dockside tavern and start to mingle. Jim would stay at the bar, buying other spacers drinks, and encouraging storytelling. Dane would mingle with a younger set, and flirt outrageously. Both would ask pointed questions about smuggling, drugs coming out of Serratia, Anax, or a certain infamous cyborg. The strategy wasn’t the most effective though. Most of the older spacers were cagey, if not outright hostile. Jim had gotten nothing but pointed glances and unsubtle hints to mind his own damn business. Still, they kept trying.

“You know, even I get tired of flirting sometimes.” Dane replied. “It’s a little demeaning to have everybody around you only thinking with what’s between their legs. I wouldn’t mind having a conversation when the other person looks at my face instead of my chest.”

“At least you’re getting some attention, most people outright try to push me away.”

“Not like it’s anything useful. Let’s mix it up, I want to bring Tysha down.”

“Tysha try to flirt? She’d bite their heads off.” Jim said, incredulously.

“Nah, I was thinking we could get her to hang around the gambling tables. She’s a fair hand at cards.” Dane replied.

“Yeah, she didn’t do too bad for herself there.” Tysha had gained a reputation at the card tables after she had won over a years’ allowance off one of the richer Academy cadets in their first year. By second year all the students knew better than to play with her, or else risk losing embarrassingly quick. However she was most notorious, not for her card skills, but for her attitude. Tysha had pulled a knife on a fellow player who she called out for cheating. While he had been cheating, the fact that it took nearly three guys to hold her back had finally gotten her banned from the tables. “We’ll just have to make sure she doesn’t keep any weapons too close at hand.”

“I’ll tell her she needs to keep her temper in check. We can afford to lose the money, but we can’t afford to get kicked out.”

“Hope it’s enough, we’re trying to keep a low profile as it is.” Jim said, “I’ll tell Maron and Luce that they’re on their own for guard duty tonight. I’ll meet up with you and Tysha when we’re five minutes out.”

Maron was best suited to stay back and watch the ship, his size made him quite intimidating, and Jim had no doubt he’d be able to handle any threats on his own. Maron also would have been the worst choice to come down to shore. He was not a talkative person. Jim didn’t think he’d be able to steer a conversation, if he even managed to start one. On the other hand Lucette had no problem talking, but she was too honest by far. Jim was afraid that if he took her down to bars she’d manage to blow their cover completely when she flubbed her story.

The trio going ashore reconvened, dressed for the job. Jim had favored a long coat, perfect for concealing a variety of weapons with. He had decided to leave his hair loose around his face, instead of pulled up into its usual high knot. Dane was wearing tight breeches, and a top cut so low it almost exposed her navel. The outfit left very little to the imagination, and Jim had no clue how Dane managed to keep her weapons out of sight. Tysha had opted for a more practical outfit, a navy bandana tied over her white blond braids, and looser fitting black breeches. Jim made sure that any knives on her person were not kept in easily accessible places, so that they could hopefully avoid another incident at the card tables. He also really hoped she didn’t pull the laser pistol from her concealed thigh holster.

The _Reverence_ pulled into a secluded spot near the end of the dock. Jim liked to keep a bit out of sight, especially in the seedier ports. Didn’t make sense for only a couple shabby looking spacers to stroll of a top of the line schooner.

“I’ve got a good feeling about this, maybe changing up our strategy will pay off.” Jim said as they walked down the docks towards the largest tavern. Light and noise were spilling out from its doors into the street. Jim hoped with all the bustle of people inside they might be able to find one with their guard down.

“Never hurts to look on the bright side of things,” Dane replied, eyeing a particularly fit pair of spacers idling outside the tavern, “Now if you’ll excuse me I think I’ve found a likely looking opportunity here.” She strolled off to chat with them, pulling her neckline a smidge lower, though Jim didn’t think such a thing would have been possible.

Tysha and Jim continued into the tavern, which was already rowdy, despite the early hour. The place was packed, but underneath the crowd it was surprisingly neat and clean. The furniture was all kept in good repair, the food looked more than decent, and the bar was excellently stocked. Jim wormed his way to the bar, narrowly missing being spilled on by a passing spacer, weaving unsteadily through the crowd. Jim was going to have more than a little trouble getting anybody’s attention tonight. He decided to instead try and disappear into the crowd. Maybe being unnoticed would allow him to overhear information, as opposed to trying to draw it out of somebody. If the low rumble of background noise was anything to go by there were certainly more than a few spacers with their inhibitions lowered.

Jim grabbed a tall mug of beer from a surly barmaid, and headed to a corner booth, miraculously empty. He took a sip, and found that the beer wasn’t half bad either. Hopefully others would be enjoying it as well, and the drink would loosen their tongues. He settled down to survey the crowd, away from prying eyes. Luckily the booth had a good view of the card table, where Tysha had managed to secure a spot. She had managed to engage in conversation with a weasely looking man standing behind her, obviously playing dumb to draw him into conversation. Jim left her to her games, she had played them all before, and he knew she shouldn’t have any troubles.

As Jim surveyed the tavern, a thread of conversation caught his interest.

“You better have the girl ready for me next week.” The speaker had a raspy hissing voice, some sort of alien species. It was pitched so that Jim couldn’t tell if they were male or female.

“I’m working on it, getting her route worked out.” This voice was deeper, obviously belonging to a male speaker. “She walks alone some nights, but not regularly.”

“Just make sure it happens soon. And fucking dose her properly, boss wasn’t too happy when it wore off that night, that girl fought like a hellcat.” The raspy voice was speaking again.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll give the next one a heavier dose. She won’t be nothing but sweet.”

Jim came to the realization that the pair was a particularly unsavory sort, sex traffickers. From the sound of it they were looking to kidnap their next mark. Jim’s stomach rolled in disgust at the thought. He was tempted to jump up and flash his Naval badge to arrest them. Blowing their cover for two thugs though, it would be risky. Especially since he didn’t have anything beyond an overheard exchange. The talk about dosing her had also caught his interest, it sounded like some sort of drug they used to kidnap these girls. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but it didn’t sound quite like chloroform or anything that would knock out the victim. This boss they mention was also intriguing, obviously it was a bigger operation than just two thugs.

Although his instincts were screaming at him to slap the two goons in chains, Jim stayed put. This was probably the best intel they had gotten so far. Jim took another sip of his beer with a grimace, and tried to listen over the din of the tavern.

“I think I dosed her plenty last time, I think the product was the off.” The deep voice said.

“Look…” The raspy voice was replying but Jim couldn’t make it out as well. He concentrated harder, “…trust the suppliers…Anax.”

Jim’s blood ran cold at that last word. These guys were involved somehow with Anax. They were still way days away from the Serratia galaxy, so whoever these guys were they were spreading fast. And from the sound of it, Anax was involved in sex trafficking too. Jim would have to send a report back to Amelia once he got back on the _Reverence_ , this intel was the only recent news the Navy would have.

Jim was focusing so hard on the conversation happening behind him, that he barely noticed the commotion starting in front of him.

The fuss had started around the card tables, where Tysha was exchanging angry words with a burly spacer sitting across from her. The other players around the table were beginning to join in the argument, getting to their feet.

Jim cursed under his breath; he knew that Tysha was a liability in a place like this. She was a hell of a spacer, but her temper easily got the best of her. He scoured the room, spotting Dane, who was now hanging off the arm of a different guy. He strode over to the corner, passing the booth behind him where the traffickers had been talking. To his dismay, it was empty. They must have slipped out as soon as the commotion started. This whole thing was a fucking shitshow, and now Jim had lost the only lead they had. If Tysha didn’t get herself killed here, he was going to give her a hell of a dressing down back on the _Reverence_.

He grabbed Dane’s shoulder, “We’ve got a situation.”

Her eyes widened as Dane caught sight of the tension brewing around Tysha, “I’ll say we do. Should we bail her out?”

“Absolutely, hopefully we can get her out before this explodes.”

Dane walked off with Jim, not sparing the object of her flirtation a second glance.

Meanwhile around Tysha, things had escalated into the danger zone. All the players were now standing and shouting. Half of them seemed to be pointing angrily at Tysha, and half at the burly player across from her. The rest of the patrons of the tavern had stopped their business to gather around and watch the fight, Jim could even hear betting. “Six to one against scales there!”

Dane and Jim pushed their way through the crowd to stand next to Tysha.

“Hey now, let’s get out of here!” Jim yelled, trying to drag her back out of this mess.

“I didn’t do anything wrong, it was that fucker who was cheating!” Tysha yelled back, trying to shake Jim off. She was still glaring daggers at her opponent across the table, and her hands were inching closer to the hidden blaster.

“Look we don’t want any trouble, our friend here is having a bad night. We can get her out.” Dane said, while getting a firm hold on Tysha’s other shoulder.

“Tell your friend to mind her manners next time.” The burly spacer said, in an ominous growl. “I can see that you’re two upstanding young citizens, so just give me back the money she took and you fellas can be on your way.”

Jim shot a look a Tysha, “Pay up and let’s get going.”

Tysha started to count out bills, still glaring across the table. “Can’t even cheat well enough to keep your money, gotta start fights too. You fucking asshole.” She grumbled, just loud enough for him to hear.

The burly spacer exploded, “That’s it! I’m not gonna take any of your fuckin’ lip!” He pulled a knife and started scrambling over the table.

Jim, Dane and Tysha pulled their weapons, ready to defend themselves.

A booming voice from behind the brawl broke through the noise, “I’ll not have ye fightin’ and breakin’ the furniture now. Take it outside or all take ye out meself!”

The threat stopped the fight in its tracks, but Jim froze for another reason. The accented, gravelly drawl was all too familiar to him. He had been hearing it for years, in his dreams and in his memories. Hearing it again brought back a rush of memories, from his time on the _Legacy_.

Jim turned around and saw the object of his search, standing in the flesh. Or well, mostly flesh. Silver had barely aged in the past five years. Maybe a touch more grey around the temples, the lines on his face grown more weathered. Jim’s heart might have skipped a beat at the sight of him. He was relieved, yet somehow even more nervous now that Silver was standing in front of him.

While Jim was standing rooted to the floor, Dane had managed to maneuver Tysha towards the door. The fight had been momentarily defused, and their party was set to make a hasty exit before anything else happened.

A light touch on Jim’s arm from Dane sent him reeling, back to the matter at hand. He followed them out towards the door, walking past Silver. Jim was no more than three feet away; close enough to smell the pipe smoke and engine grease that clung to the cyborg. Unable to resist he looked up, and found his gaze locked on Silver.

There was no flash of surprise, only a familiar look. They stood there for half a second, uneasy, before Silver broke the tension.

“Eh Jimbo, been wondering when ye would show up. How abouts we go have a chat before ye be on yer way?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter is up! Lots of thank you's to everybody who has been reading. All the comments have been so lovely, and I can't believe how many of you all left kudos. Hopefully you'll enjoy this update, and Silver's grand entrance. The next chapter is his POV, so if you've been missing him, fear not!
> 
> If you're interested in my OC's and want to better picture them, check out Quick$ilver. It's a webcomic by Crypto and Dane's design was inspired a lot by the character Roque. Also, it's just a really beautiful free webcomic in general.
> 
> As to how I'm doing behind the scenes- Chapter five is just about wrapped up. Chapter six and seven are pretty well planned out, and the first big smut scene should be in chapter eight, though I might put a little something in sooner than that. My goal is to at least have at least that much written before the end of the summer so this story will earn its rating. Updates after than point may become more sporadic, but we'll see how much time I have in the fall.


	4. Chapter 4

Silver had last heard somebody was looking for him weeks ago. An old acquaintance had dropped hints that some young whelp had been asking around for a cyborg. The rumors didn’t concern Silver; he wasn’t going to leave his tavern. If they were smart they would find him. If they didn’t, it would have been a waste of time anyway.

The cyborg had gone deep undercover, buying an ironclad alias with some of the remaining loot from Treasure Planet, and opening up the tavern. Having a home turf felt good. If somebody came to track him down, well Silver had also invested in a very handy secret back door and fully stocked lifeboat for quick escapes. He had put his smuggling on hold, only running the occasional small deal.

All in all it was a cushy lifestyle, but Silver couldn’t help that he was getting bored. Yes, selling food and drink was all well and good, but at heart he knew he was just waiting for his statute of limitations to run out. It seemed like every other month he was nearly jumping out of his skin to go run after a wild story somebody had told him when they were in their cups. The Ursid were a roaming people, and Silver felt the pang of it every day he was stuck sitting still.

The young lad, Jim, had also barely left his thoughts since they parted ways. Silver had to admit when he heard there was a young man searching for him the first thing that came to mind was a flash of green eyes. The lad had been the first person he had truly grown close to in years, and the loss hurt something terrible.

That’s why when Jim first walked through the doors Silver’s heart almost stopped. There was the scrappy cabin boy, become a young man. Jim’s shoulders were broader, and Silver knew than under his clothes, those limbs would be corded with muscle. Scrawny no longer, he was now lean and coiled. His stride had changed too; there was a confidence there.  The way his companion followed, and the looks that passed between them, there was the look of command. Yes, Jimbo had done well for his self.

What was throwing Silver off was the Jim’s clothing—namely the fact that Jim wasn’t wearing a Naval uniform. He walked in, looking just like most of the other smugglers, mercenaries, and various conmen Silver saw everyday. What had happened to Jim, the promising Academy student? Silver knew the lad had a stronger moral compass than his own, so why was he doing looking like he had gone pirate.

Instead of making himself known, Silver retreated to the back corner to watch. He knew that the shadows here would conceal his bulk, and often kept an eye on the clientele from this position. When Jim tucked himself away in the booth Silver was even more surprised. He had been hoping that Jim would be asking around, looking for him. Maybe his gut had been wrong, it had just been a wild hope, and a rather strange coincidence that brought the two of them together again.

While Jim was minding his business, Silver saw the lasses he brought causing a stir. They were both firecrackers, though for very different reasons. The flirty one was obviously pumping some people for attention, so maybe they had come here on business. The whole situation had thrown Silver off his axis and left him spinning. He was unused to this confusion in his tidy tavern; usually he could keep it running as smoothly as his own well-oiled rig

Speak of the devil; one of the lasses with Jim was beginning to start a scrap at the card tables. He hoped it would calm down after her friends stepped in, but the lass was too fiery for her own good, and now there was a brawl brewing. The situation had forced Silver’s hand and he had stepped in.

Seeing the look on Jim’s face when their eyes met had melted Silver’s resolve. He didn’t care what Jim wanted, or why he was here, he just needed to talk with the lad. So now they were standing across from each other in the back room. Silver’s tongue felt thick and clumsy, his wit deserted him. God, he couldn’t think of a single thing to say, what a fool Jimbo had made him!

“I missed ye.” Silver started, that was true enough. Missed you didn’t even touch his feelings, but it would have to serve.

“Missed you too, Silver.” Jim said back, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

It wasn’t the deep heart to heart Silver had imagined, but at least it was a start. “Heard ye’ve been searching me out.”

“Yeah, have been. You’re not an easy man to find.”

“Wouldn’t be in me best interests. Keepin’ a bit of a low profile, lad.”

“So you aren’t on the straight and narrow?”

“Well, I always found a bit of a detour off that path suited me best. Can’t say I’ve been lootin’ or pillaging recently though.”

Jim cracked a smile at Silver’s playful tone, “Never thought it would suit you either. That’s the half the reason I’m looking for you.”

Silver’s ears perked up at that bit of info. “Seems like yer sailin’ under the black flag then.”

 “Not quite.” Jim said, leaving Silver even more confused. Nothing about this meeting had been what he expected.

“Be straight with me lad, I haven’t got time for games.”

“Okay, but promise you’ll hear me out before you do anything.” Jim gave Silver a piercing stare, his tone serious.”

“Aye, I swear.” Silver said cautiously, afraid of what exactly he was swearing to.

“I graduated the Academy. Couldn’t stand to join the Navy as a midshipman though. They offered me an opportunity, an espionage mission.”

Silver saw red at Jim’s words; his cyborg eye was glowing with anger. He had been sent to take him in! He had trusted the lad, and now betrayal. He was about to yell, to throw Jim out and escape, but the lad hadn’t finished yet.

“I came for your help, not to arrest you! I would never betray you, Silver, I’m only alive because of you. If you want me gone after this, it will be like we never came.” Jim hands were up in a placating motion, trying to smooth the tension in the room. The tension between them was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Silver managed to rein his temper in, but his guard was up now. He had wanted to trust Jim, let him get close again. Curse his good nature. He’d keep his word and hear the boy out, but he doubted he could trust a Navy man, much less a spy. “And what makes you think I’d be able to help ye?”

“I’ve been sent to infiltrate Anax. I was hoping I could ask you about them. You’ve been in the smuggling game long enough to know something.”

Yeah, Silver knew about Anax. He knew that they were a filthy bunch of violent criminals. Most gangs at least had a code of conduct, but Anax was ruthless. They would take your bribe and then shoot you in the back to keep you quiet. Silver steered well clear of their lot. “Take my advice lad, keep out of that business. I haven’t had anything but trouble dealing with those bastards. Ye’d best watch yer back around them.”

“I was hoping you were going to be there to watch it for me, Silver.” Jim said, getting to the heart of the matter at hand, “I want you to come on the assignment. You’re well known, you’ll lend us credibility and a cover story. Not to mention how handy you’d be if it came to a fight.”

Silver was gob smacked, “Me, work for the Navy?! Ye must have lost your fuckin’ mind, Jimbo!” He turned away and started stalking out of the room. The cheek of the lad! To think that Silver would willing go into the arms of the law, after fighting his whole life to be free.

“They’d pardon you. I have it signed and sealed. Just do this and you don’t have to run and hide.”

That gave Silver a pause. A pardon was a valuable thing indeed. Freedom from past crimes, a new start, he could have it all. It was tempting to think that he could fix past mistakes, but doing so would mean giving up the only life he ever knew.

“Well, that’s a tempting offer for sure. What did ye have to do to get it?” He said, voice low to hide how unsure he felt.

“When they gave me this mission they told me to choose people I trusted with my life. There’s only been one person I trust like that, and I didn’t want to face these guys without him.”  
            Fuck, that hit deep. Silver had really come to trust his cabin boy on the Legacy, and leaving Jim had hurt a lot. What was worse is that in in the past five years, it hadn’t faded. Even now he caught him looking over his shoulder, looking for the lanky boy’s smile. Now Jim was standing before him, offering a life of freedom, based only on the trust they had once shared. It was enough to make an old cyborg feel conflicted to say the least. He decided to put his cards on the table, so to speak.

“Ye know lad, I never for a second regretted losing that loot. I always knew ye’d turn out to be something great. And this offer to stand next to ye while you do it, it means a lot, Jimbo.”

“So then come with me! What do you have to lose?” Jim said, pleading with outstretched arms. God, that boy wore his emotions plain as day.

Silver rubbed the back of his neck as he fixed his gaze on his boot. He was too scared to meet Jim’s eyes, afraid that he’d be too caught up in what he saw to think straight. “I’ve been a smuggler all me life, outrunning the law. I don’t know any other life I could lead, lad. If I were to sell anybody out, I’d be cast out meself. Nobody would trust me again. Even though I want to take down these Anax folks, I don’t know if I can do it under the Naval flag.”

“I’d still trust you, no matter what, Silver.”

“Means a lot to me, Jim. But I’m an old dog, and it’s hard for me to give up my ways. Just stay, please.” Silver’s voice was thick with emotion as he continued, “Let me think on it tonight at least. I’ll have an answer for ye in the morning.”

Silver turned with a sigh, still to afraid to look Jim in the face. He was a coward for sure, but isn’t that what had been keeping him alive this long? He settled in an armchair, facing the embers of a dying fire. He heard Jim’s footsteps head towards the door, hesitate, and leave.

“Damn it you mushy old cyborg, ye’ve got yerself into quite the situation now.” He muttered to himself.

Silver looked around the tavern, at the life he would have to leave behind. There’s honor among thieves, and nobody who heard Silver had sold somebody out would be caught dead crossing his doorstep. Not to mention he’d lose all the side income from his ‘odd jobs’ here and there. He’d have to leave, move to a city and try to make as a respectable man.

Dammit! Just hours ago he had been dreaming about packing up and leaving this behind for another adventure. Now one was staring him in the face and he couldn’t make up his damn mind. Silver was yearning to sail with Jim again, to take down Anax. They were ruthless and violent. Honestly, Silver known they were no good since he first heard of them. He had almost signed up as hired muscle for a turf war, come this close to powering up the old thigh cannon again. He had stayed behind though, and thanked his lucky stars for it every day. The fight had been a bloodbath on both sides, with Anax just barely managing to come out ahead. He had lost friends in that fight, old spacers he had worked with for years. Since then nobody had dared to stand up to those bastards, even if it meant living in fear.

A lot of people had been hurt by Anax, innocent people too. He hadn’t said anything passing those girls at the port, but seeing their blank faces and their empty eyes made him squirm with discomfort.

He heaved a sigh and stared into the dying embers, shadows from the coals flickering across his face. His mind was telling him not to do this, but his heart wanted nothing more to sail with Jimbo again. Silver allowed him a few moments of fantasy, imagining the rewards he would get if they did manage to shut down Anax. Respect, maybe even enough money for a new ship. He could retire, sail the galaxies without fear of capture. Silver had never wanted to retire from smuggling, but maybe it was time to accept he was too old to spend his life running and hiding.

He made his way up the stairs, towards his room. Silver dragged his dusty old sea chest out from the foot of his bed, and started packing— jackets, shirts, replacement parts for his rig. He handled the set of wrenches gently, remembering the night in the galley when Jim had worked with them on his rig. The closeness between them in those moments was a memory he held dear, worn thin as it was by the years.

Silver ambled down to the kitchen, grabbing his best cast iron skillet, and large stockpot. Then he raided the spice rack. Least he could do really, all these young pups probably didn’t know the first thing ‘bout cooking. He would be happy to step back into the role. Not to mention there was no easier way to trust a man than to break bread with him.

It was into the wee hours of the night by the time Silver had managed to pack his life into the sea chest. He lay down in bed, probably for the last time and let himself enjoy the comfort as his bulk settled. Couldn’t be getting too soft now, could he. Going off to Serratia tomorrow with nothing but a sea chest and a captain greener than grass. He was more excited than he had been in years, possibly since the _Legacy_. When the cyborg closed his eyes, galaxies and constellation danced behind them, the call of the unknown.

Was this a smart idea? No, not in the slightest. Silver was throwing away his stability for adventure. It was insane, but when had he ever backed down from anything before, no matter how outrageous.

Silver turned over, trying to mentally catalog everything he knew about Anax, the whispers he had been hearing lately. Instead he found all his thoughts would lead him back to Jim. The way the lad had looked today, grown up and confident, the way he would smile when Silver was at the docks tomorrow. But memories surfaced too. He thought about when they had gone out on the _Legacy_ ’s longboat. The whoop of joy as Jim took the thruster, the easy contentment between them after the joyride.

If he was going to be completely honest with himself, it was more than just the lure of adventure that was sending a thrill of excitement through him. He had missed Jim something fierce, and there had been a tugging in his gut when he reflected on their times together. Seeing him today had been a lungful of fresh air. If he had been brave enough to make eye contact with Jim, Silver knew he would already be bedding down on the ship.

When he imagined the future, after the statute of limitations was gone, he had thought it would be a solo experience. Other friends and colleagues hade made appearance in his fantasies, as well as a number of choice lasses. But Jim, Silver had always imagined reconnecting with. He had known it was a silly dream to want to go pirate with a Navy boy, but now this dream could be a reality.

His eyelids grew heavy eventually, but Silver was up by the crack of dawn. He threw the sea chest over his shoulder and locked up the tavern, posting a “ _Closed- Indefinitely_ ” sign on the door. He had paid the lease through the year, just in case he could come back.

With a whistle he strolled down the where the _Reverence_ was docked.

“Permission to come aboard Captain Hawkins, sir!” Silver cried out, a grin spreading across his face in the morning light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying out Silver's POV. Feel free to comment with any criticism, I'm writing ch. 6 now and it will be the Silver's POV also. This chapter is the last of the intro, so get ready for some plot now that everybody is together. 
> 
> Ch. 5 ended up being longer than planned, so you all are in for a treat next week. Ch. 6 is a work in process, might be a bit shorter though. 
> 
> Also, you might have noticed the reference the my other story, Got it Bad. I'm considering the first chapter canon in this story, but the rest will not be. If you like this, check it out, I'm pretty happy with how the story turned out.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

Jim had been up all night, tossing and turning, thinking over his discussion with Silver. He hadn’t realized what it would cost the smuggler to join them, risking social exile.

Seeing the cyborg had brought a lot of feelings to the forefront of Jim’s mind. He didn’t think seeing Silver would affect him so much, but it would be a lot harder now to go on without him. There was a longing now at the forefront of Jim’s mind, one he had tried to keep under wraps for years. It had come back with new force after seeing Silver. As much as Jim needed his help, he also desperately wanted to sail with Silver again, no matter the circumstance. He had hoped the pull in his gut would have faded when faced with Silver, but somehow it seemed to be stronger.

After a restless night’s sleep, Jim rose early. He walked the deck of the _Reverence,_ his thoughts still twisted and tangled over the previous night. The waiting was killing him, he couldn’t decide if he wanted to cast off now and leave Silver in his sights, or to hang around for as long as possible on that last desperate chance.

Luckily Jim didn’t have to wait long at all before a familiar voice broke through the dockside bustle. “Permission to come aboard Captain Hawkins, sir!”

Jim immediately popped his head over a rail, the grin on his face as big as the matching one Silver was wearing. “Hurry on up, I’ve been waiting on you!”

Silver strode confidently up the gangplank, looking larger than life on the small schooner. Jim reached up the put a hand on his arm, “Glad to have you on board, spacer.”

Lucette had made her way on deck, roused by the noise and stared curiously at the new arrival. Her eyes went wide as she took in Silver’s pirate garb, exposed weapons, and the robotic limbs.

Jim fidgeted awkwardly under her gaze, “I guess we should go down to the galley and meet the crew.” The pair descended below decks to where everybody else had gathered around the table for breakfast. News travelled fast on the ship, so nobody seemed overly surprised to see Silver enter. Still, all eyes were turned to them as Silver was placed under the crew’s intense scrutiny.

“Silver, this is Dane, Tysha, Lucette, and Maron. They’re the rest of the crew on this expedition, as well as my trusted friends.” Jim said, pointing at each in turn. He tried for nonchalant in his tone, acting like he wasn’t introducing them to one of the galaxy’s most notorious smugglers. “Why don’t you begin by telling us what you know about Anax, making sure we are up to speed?”

“Aye, that I can.” Silver said, looking around the table, “But, do ye mind if I cook while I talk? Can’t help but notice this spread is a little sparse for me tastes.”

Jim looked down at the table, which held a single loaf of bread and jar of jam. While it was all well and good for students and spacers, Silver’s cooking would help the others to trust him. Not to mention Jim’s mouth began watering at the thought of a meal cooked by somebody who really knew what they were doing.

Before he could say anything, Lucette piped up, “Go right ahead! I’ll show you where I’ve kept everything.”

As Lucette led Silver back to the galley, the whole group migrated with them. Dane perched up on the counter, while Tysha and Maron leaned on the far side of it. Lucette bustled around in the pantry, and Jim was left standing awkwardly in the middle of the galley. Silver was inspecting every inch of the space, make the occasional grunt of appreciation at the top of the line equipment.

“Hawkins, start off by tellin’ me what ye know, Then I’ll fill in the gaps best I can.” Silver said, amassing ingredients in front of him.

Jim floundered for a second at being put on the spot, but managed to recover his composure. ”Uhh, not much at all really. We know they’re based somewhere in Serratia galaxy. Other intelligence missions have been sent, but none have returned or successfully infiltrated. We believe the recruitment skews young, which is half the reason we’re here in the first place.” Jim paused, having run through the gist of the information contained in the very thing file the Navy had provided.

Silver took advantage of the pause to thrust a mixing bowl into Jim’s hands. “Whisk these up while ye’re talkin’ lad.”

Jim focused on the eggs and cream for a couple second, letting his mind wander back to the night before. “There’s more, but it isn’t confirmed. It’s just a hunch of mine.”

“You never mentioned anything to us.” Dane said, crossing her arms and giving Jim a raised eyebrow. “Come on Hawkins, spill.”

“Well last night at the tavern I overheard a conversation. It was between some people who mentioned Anax. It sounded like they were running a sex trafficking operation. I thought they were making plans to kidnap a girl and drug her.”

Jim’s classmates looked shocked at this. Maron’s mouth had even fallen open.

“Jim, this is the best intel the Navy has had for ages, why didn’t you tell us?” Lucette said.

“I’m sorry guys, I was so caught up in finding Silver I didn’t even think to mention it.”

“You can’t keep stuff like this from us again. You’re the captain, but we have to trust you here.” Tysha said, her stare boring into Jim.

“Yeah, this changes what we have to expect completely.” Maron added.

“Luckily Jim’s hunch lines up well with what I’ve heard. I’ve known Anax has been running some sort of sex trafficking on the side.” Silver said, drawing attention back to himself.

“So we’re all on the same page?” Jim asked the cyborg.

“Not quite. You haven’t heard of LD have you?” Silver asked the crew.

Blank stares were the only response to the question. Jim didn’t know what in the world Silver was talking about, and how it related to Anax.

“It’s Anax’s biggest seller, short for Lust Dust. It’s what allows them to run this sex trafficking. If we can follow that back to a vendor we might be able to find an operations base. They keep it pretty well controlled, but word has been getting out, and you hear things in a tavern.”

Jim was hanging on to Silver’s every word, able to see how it all fit together. He already knew the cyborg had formulated at least half a plan, between the six of them they should be able to run a covert operation to locate Anax.

“Just a second, I’ll be takin’ these back lad.” Silver took the eggs from Jim, seasoned them, and poured them into a skillet to scramble. On the other burners he was cooking sausage links, and fried potatoes. The smells of breakfast made Jim’s mouth water, and momentarily distracted him from the matter at hand. Before long there was a piping hot plate in front of everybody, and Jim greedily dug in. Silver’s cooking was even better than he remembered. Conversation ceased completely as everybody savored the fluffy eggs.

Once there were only crumbs left, Dane spoke up again. “So have you got a clue about who might be able to get their hands on LD?”

“Ehh, I have an inkling or two. Can’t say fer sure, but I know a lot of people who could get anything for the right price.” Silver answered. “If we can get to Auris spaceport, I think that would be the best bet.”

“I can get us there by tomorrow.” Tysha said, “Though I haven’t been before, not exactly the nicest.”

“Aye, it’s a shithole for sure. But it’s a shithole full of smugglers, so we should be able to hunt some down.” Silver said with a grin.

Lucette had a giant smile on her face and Dane was grinning just as widely. Even Maron had a twinkle in his eye. Jim suddenly realized that he was going to have to be the lone voice of reason at an illegal spaceport, hunting for drugs. What a fucking strange Naval mission this had turned out to be.

Silver started to clean up the galley, and Jim went up with the rest of the crew to get the _Reverence_ under sail. Tysha was at the wheel, Dane and Lucette scrambling in the rigging. Jim stood on the stern deck, watching the planet disappear behind them. When they had crossed into deep space he finally felt like he could take a deep breath again. The last spot had been filled, on the crew, and maybe a little bit in himself. Jim had never felt more at home than in the cramped little galley, with all the people who had earned his respect.

He hoped that the others had been as happy to see Silver as he had. They had seemed supportive enough of the idea back on Crescentia, but it was another thing entirely to have to deal with a pirate as their cook. Jim leaned off the side, watching the trail of glittering stardust in their wake. This sight usually calmed him, but these anxious thoughts kept racing around in his head. Heaving a sigh, Jim headed below decks, hoping for somebody else’s insight.

Maron was in the engine room, keeping an eye on a frankly frightening array of gauges, dials, and screens. Jim leaned on the wall near him, making sure to keep clear of any moving parts. Maron was the quietest, but Jim knew he would give him straightforward answers when asked. The man was also an uncanny judge of character, which was exactly what Jim needed right now.

“How’s she running?”

“Like a dream. This is the first time we’ve really done anything at speed, so I’m keeping an eye on her, seeing what effects the pressure has. But I don’t think she’s breaking a sweat, we shouldn’t be anywhere near max capacity, Cap.” Maron said, a note of admiration in his voice as he gestured to some of the specific indicators on the panel.

“And the new addition, what’s your impression?”

Maron stayed silent for a couple beats. “Jim, that’s a bit harder to tell. I know you two have history, and it’s obvious he’s here because of you, but I don’t know if he would be loyal to the rest of us.”

Jim sat in silence for a while, mulling over what Maron had said. He hadn’t expected Silver to be loyal to the mission, maybe not yet. He didn’t know that his own relationship with the cyborg would be what ended up bringing him along. Still, he could understand why the crew would feel uneasy around Silver at first. “Is there anything I should do, should we keep him on?”

Offering to leave Silver behind hurt like hell. Jim had spent years about dreaming about the man, and the time they had spent together. Leaving him now would only make him ache again, worse than before even. Not to mention finding Silver for a third time might end up just being impossible. However, Jim’s first loyalty was to his crew.

“No, no need to jump to that.” Maron responded, putting Jim at ease. “He’s a good enough guy. When he smiles, it’s genuine, not just a ploy. We need to give him time, see what happens.”

“So you think we can trust him?”

“Maybe. He’s got secrets, lots to hide. Might be that we end up at a conflict of interest eventually. But for now I think it’s his best interest to do this with us.”

Maron lapsed back into silence, and the conversation ended. Jim walked back out of the engine room, slightly more at ease than before. The situation wasn’t perfect, but it was a good start.

 

…..

 

Tysha had been true to the word, and the _Reverence_ was slipping into docks at Auris at midday, the next day. Jim and Dane hopped down onto the crumbling docks, tying the mooring lines.

Silver’s earlier assessment of the place was true enough, it was a shithole with a shady crowd. The other burly spacers eyed the _Reverence_ as the tied up, especially the gleaming brass trim. The pair of holstered pistols at Dane’s waist, and the curved blade sheathed across her back did give the ship a clear berth though.

As Jim went back aboard, all eyes were on him for the plan.

“Silver, I need you to take the lead here. Get us to your contact and pump him for info on LD. I think we should try to purchase some as well, try to analyze it. Navy would want to about what it is, appearance and characteristics, how it works, potency; all that if we can figure it out. I’m coming, but treat me like hired muscle.”

“Aye, can do that Jimbo. I’m not usually in the habit of carryin’ ‘round with thugs though. Might seem a mite off.”

“That’s why Luce is coming. She’ll pose as the girl we’re trying to dose. An extra hand for valuable cargo isn’t unheard of.”

“If I play it up I’m tryin’ to run with Anax, they should buy it. Might not like me for it, but I’m burnin’ my bridges already.” Silver said, shrugging and feigning nonchalance. Jim knew that the cyborg’s reputation was important to him, not something he would tarnish lightly. A suggestion like this let him know how cimmited the cyborg truly was to Jim and his crew.

“Hey, shouldn’t I be going instead of Luce. Not to be rude or anything, but I spent weeks playing up the sex angle.” Dane asked, striking a pose to show off her assets.

“We need sex trafficking victim, not sex worker. I know you would be a very convincing high end prostitute if you wanted to be.” Jim said playfully, winking back at her.

“Fine, but I call dibs if anybody needs to be seduced again.” Dane joked back.

“I dunno, I think I’m quite the vixen.” Maron said with a smirk.

Tysha rolled her eyes.

“Well we need you, Dane and Tysha to stay behind to guard the ship. I trust you three in a fight if it comes to that.” Jim instructed. Between Maron’s size, Dane’s absurd amount of weapons, and Tysha’s wicked claws and stink eye, they looked pretty intimidating. “But you can try to seduce them instead, just don’t let anybody on the _Reverence_.”

“I think we’ll manage okay, now go do some questionably legal stuff, Cap.” Tysha said with a lazy salute.

Jim followed behind Silver as the cyborg walked down onto Auris’s docks, into the throng of people. Silver’s bulk and intimidating arm created a path through the crowd, and Jim and Luce were able to follow easily in his wake. Silver led them through a maze of narrow, twisting streets. Jim was glad that he had worn heavy boots, the streets weren’t paved and the mud sucked treacherously at his feet at every step. His hair was tied up and under a dark tricorn hat, similar to the one Silver was wearing. Lucette was playing her part well, keeping her eyes downcast, and posture meek.

Before long Silver had led the trio to a shack, indistinguishable to Jim from the rest of the buildings on the street. The cyborg rapped twice, and waited until the door opened a crack.

A thin man answered the hair. He had long brown hair, immaculately groomed sideburns, and was wearing nothing but an embroidered silk robe, stained and trailing threads from the cuffs, clutched to his chest. To Jim he looked like an absurd dandy, not quite matching the rough atmosphere of the planet.

“Javi! Can’t believe yer still bummin’ around in this shithole.” Silver cried out when he saw the man, brash and friendly.

“Silver, you old dog! I haven’t heard a peep from you since you tracked down Flint’s trove. You’ve been holding out on me, friend.” The dandy grinned widely at Silver, revealing a gold tooth. His arms opened to embrace Silver. The tone was a little too jovial for Jim to trust, but considering the large Jolly Roger tattoo on his skinny chest, Jim was still glad they were on his good side.

Javi mentioned the three of them in, giving Lucette a particularly lingering gaze as she crossed the threshold. Inside the shack had the remains of some once fine furniture. By now the colors were faded, and turned gray with accumulated dust. A sweet, smoky haze hung inside, making Jim’s eyes sting.

“Javier, while I wish I were here on a purely social call, I do have to make a coupla inquiries. If my count is correct, I believe you owe me a rather sizeable favor, so it shouldn’t be much trouble.” Silver said, still grinning widely, though his tone now had an undercurrent of steel.

“Ah, you wound me!” Javi threw an arm across his face melodramatically, “And here I thought you simply longed for the gift of my presence. Sit down if we must talk business at least.” The man went to sit behind an ornate desk in dark wood. The leather chairs opposite were cracked, stuffing beginning to poke out.

Silver settled his bulk in the padded chair, though it creaked alarmingly under his weight. Jim remained standing, solid behind Silver’s shoulder, a hand on Luce’s arm. Javier merely quirked an eyebrow at the arrangement, but didn’t question it further.

“Now Javi, have you heard rumors of Anax ‘round these parts yet?”

“Those bastards! They’ve been sticking their slimy noses into all my deals. Don’t you worry, Silver. I am a man of honor and would never accept their interference, no matter the price!”

Jim’s eye roved around the threadbare room, well Javi certainly had been receiving the money. Whether it was his choice, or because Anax simply didn’t bother was more the question though.

“Ahh, I see how it is. The thing is I was looking for them, seein’ if maybe we could come to some sort of agreement, if you catch my drift.” Silver said, his voice trailing off at the end.

Javi stared at Silver, silent. His gaze was scrutinizing, if trying to figure out what angle the cyborg was playing. “Didn’t peg you as the type to be looking for them, old friend.” Javi’s tone was far from friendly though.

“Well I’ve come across this lovely piece ya see.” Silver said, nodding his head in Lucette’s direction. “Figured they’d be the best to go to if I was lookin’ for something a bit more monetary.”

Javi had a grin on his face now, but it looked downright predatory to Jim. “The great Long John Silver, stooping to enter the oldest profession. My friend, you have certainly fallen on hard times. I will do all in my power to assist.”

“Time are hard Javi, too goddamn hard. It jus’ ain’t what it used to be. Flint’s trove has been gone five years now. Smugglin’ profits are gettin’ smaller, and runs are gettin’ more dangerous.” Silver sighed and slumped back in the chair, suddenly vulnerable. “I dinna think it would come to this, but I gotta accept there’s no fortune to be found treasure huntin’. The Etherium is a different place now. Ye gotta change, or slowly wither away.”

Javi walked over to Silver, sliding an arm around the larger man’s shoulders. “When times are hard, it is best to know you can depend on those close to you. Here, for your trouble.” Javi slipped a small white packet into Silver’s palm. “It is always good to be of assistance to such a dear friend.” And now his eyes were glinting with greed. “Just be sure not to forget about this when other such dear brethren come to call.”

Silver walked out with Jim and Lucette, the portrait of a defeated man. Once they were a block away he straightened up once again, “Damn, Javi is still as much of an arrogant fop as ever. Can’t say I’d be sad to see the last o’ him.”

Lucette piped up, “And the package, it’s LD.”

“Sure is. I’d been thinkin’ he fell in with a rough crowd, this confirms he’s been runnin’ with Anax. Won’t feel sorry for that whelp when we blow them open.”

“I didn’t know you were such an actor, Silver.” Jim said. He had been completely drawn in by Silver’s defeated performance.

Silver didn’t smile like Jim had expected though, “Was only really half a performance. I wasn’t lyin’ when I said the Etherium’s a changed place. Times are hard for all of us. I’m jus’ hopin’ this will do some good.”

The trio walked back to the _Reverence_ in silence. Silver’s confession had ruined the celebratory mood.

Once back on board Jim headed for his quarters, fiddling with the LD they had been given. The next step was within reach, he just had to figure out this clue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the great comments this week! Here's a bit of a longer, more plot filled chapter. Again thanks to all you readers, especially if you're keeping up with my updates!
> 
> I've hit a bit of a slump, Ch. 6 isn't quite completed. I've been trying to write but life has just been crazy busy lately. It might be a bit shorter, but I'm prettily sure I will have it posted in time next week. I still am committed to this story, but I'm a little less sure of the direction it will be headed in coming weeks.


	6. Chapter 6

Silver settled with the others around the galley table. Once he and Jim were back on deck, the _Reverence_ had headed off pretty fast. There was no use hanging around in one place too long and attracting attention. Jim was learning to sail the _Reverence_ under the radar, and Silver felt right at home, falling back into his old smuggling tricks.

“So did you guys run into any rough characters when we were gone?” Jim asked, from his seat at the head of the table. Silver didn’t know how an oval table had a head, but the lad’s air of easy authority just drew them all in. His confidence had only grown as the Reverence went deeper into space, the others falling into their roles around him.

“Nothing major. Some drunken louts were hooting at Dane, but she scared them off.” Tysha replied with  shrug. Dane demonstrated her scary smile, grinning wide enough to show off some noticeably sharp teeth. It definitely gave Silver a bit of the heebie-jeebies, no doubt the louts had gotten lost pretty fast. “I’m more interested in what happened with you three.” Tysha continued, leaning forward on her elbows and settling in to listen.”

“I can tell you that Silver keeps some pretty creepy company.” Lucette said, “This guy, Javi, looks like he’s never said anything that was actually honest in his life.”

“I’d agree with yer assessment there. He’s a slimy bastard, but I’m hopin’ we still got reasonably good info off o’ him.” Silver added, “He had nothin’ to gain by lying to us ‘bout Anax. Chances are he’s already told them we were there, tryin’ to wiggle out of whatever debt he’s put himself in to them.”

“Do we know he was one of their members?”

“Prolly not actually a member hisself. More likely he made ‘em some promises he wouldn’t be able to keep. He’s too coward to properly pick a side, but too dumb to keep from snortin’ or drinkin’ whatever he can find.”

Jim addressed the group now. “Either way we didn’t get a lot of straight intel from him. We know they have members there, but I don’t want to trust Javi to get us in contact. He did give us though.” Jim placed the packet of LD on the table. “Far as I can tell it’s genuine product, though I’m not going to try it out to double check. We need to let the Navy know what this stuff is. Their analysis should tell us more about Anax’s capabilities.”

“The shipping time of the sample will be a bitch and a half.” Maron added, “We’re just gonna have to sit and cool our heels if those results are important.”

Tysha rolled her eyes, “I never realized all this espionage stuff was so damned dull.”

Silver flipped through the modifications on his rig, showing off the various mechanical functions. “Ye know, it just so happens I’ve had a mite bit o’ experience in quality inspections meself. I may not be able to give ye the fancy Navy data, but it might be enough so that we aren’t stuck floatin’ for days on end.”

Dane smiled at the array of functional and weaponized options in Silver's rig. “Are you saying you packed a chemistry set too, smuggler?”

“Let’s just say the best cooks know a bit more than they let on, ‘specially in this line o’ work.” Silver said with a wide grin, lighting up a finger like a Bunsen burner.

Jim tossed the packet of LD to Silver, who manage to catch it deftly in his organic hand. “Since I already sent a sample up the chain of command, the rest is all yours. Just don’t think about blowing up my ship.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it Cap.” Silver had already adjusted his cyborg eye, magnifying the packet, looking for any giveaway marks on the packaging. A smuggler knew as anybody that the outside of a package was almost as important of the contents. Too many amateurs had been given away by an incorrectly labeled shipment, or something suspiciously heavy. Silver was no amateur though, and had long trained himself on minute details of paper and ink.

Unfortunately it was standard stock, found throughout Serratia. The ink was a nondescript shade of blue, the kind that came from antigravity pens. They were standard issue for most spacers across the Etherium, and impossible to track. Oh well, if he couldn’t learn about the packaging, maybe something else about the contents would reveal itself.

“Well we’ll leave you to it then.” Jim said, after watching Silver examine the package. He managed to kind of awkwardly shuffle the others out, leaving the galley clear. Silver let out a soft sigh of relief. He liked the crew well enough, but so many people in the small space made him feel like he was under a magnifying glass. The cyborg limbs could definitely draw the wrong kind of attention, as other realized just how dangerous they could be. He would rather ease the rest into it, and hope that they wouldn’t panic.

Silver gingerly opened the LD package, using a fine tweezer attachment on his rig. He wanted to handle the substance as little as he could with his organic hand, making extra sure to not contaminate the sample. The powder was finely milled, but crystalline in appearance. Silver didn’t have a whole lot of chemical know how, but he could test melting point and solubility pretty well. His cyborg eye had an extremely exact heat sensor, so he started with melting point for a small sample.

Between the results of both tests he though that he was dealing with a large organic molecule. While it didn’t say much, it didn’t disprove a suspicion Silver had been harboring. When he had first heard of LD, he thought it seemed like some sort of artificial hormone. They were really the only thing that he knew of that create libido changes, though never anything this drastic. If anax had somehow managed to create one more concentrated than natural, it might produce some pretty extreme effects.

Silver was scrolling through the settings on his cybernetic eye, turning off the temperature sensor, when he noticed something else. The sample was setting off the Geiger counter had had installed, though the signal was very faint. It was just high enough to make Silver sure this was no average background radiation from the Etherium. LD must have been in contact with radioactive material at some point.

The only time Silver had seen something like this had been after running an operation in rare earth metal mine. There were known hot spots, they were roped off, and could only be accessed by workers in protective gear. Equipment that went in would give off a faint signature before it faded in a week or so.

He took care to wrap the sample back up again, and then boxing it up, just to be on the safe side. The last thing Silver needed to deal with was radiation.

The cyborg climbed up the steps of the galley, and brought the sample back up on deck. Silver knocked at the door of Jim’s quarters “Cap, I got a hunch here.” Silver called out.

Jim opened the door, revealing a desk strewn with maps and intelligence briefings. There was a small bed tucked into the corner, sheets still ruffled and unmade. Besides the piles of papers and the bed, the rest of the room was as neat as a pin, clothes hung neatly in the wardrobe, and the navigational equipment on the shelf kept gleaming. “You can tell me what this stuff is?”

“Not yet, but I can tell ye where it’s comin’ from.”

Jim’s face lit up, “How in the hell did you manage that?”

“Faint radioactive signature. Seen it once before when I was in the mines. Thing is it wears off fairly quick, so we know it can’t be too far from here.”

“Radon contamination? That’s my best guess. But a fairly large mining operation sounds like a perfect place to keep a base, plenty of places to hide.”

“My thoughts exactly. I ran me own smugglin’ operation out of one for a time. Pay off the guards and it’s easy as can be.”

Jim strode over to a desk excitedly, and started poring over the maps there. ”I think the closest mine to us is an excavation at Freundii. It’s a moon that being more or less completely gutted, all sorts of operations.”

“How far is it?”

“Maybe a day or two, short hop. We’ll have some time to plan while en route though.”

The distance was just about right that the signature would still be faintly visible. And a whole moon, plenty of room to hide something the size of Anax. Freundii was conveniently located next to large ports planetside too, so it would be easy for Anax to move product quickly. Silver nodded at Jim, “I’ve got a good feeling about this. Let’s tell the crew and start heading out in the morning.”

Silver walked out of Jim’s cabin, taking in a big breath of the cool night air. The spark in Jim’s eyes had been something to see, the way the lad was so driven. Being there with him had made any regrets about this affair vanish.

 Well, almost any regrets. The _Reverence_ was not a small ship, and after so long on his own Silver was having trouble adjusting. The crew was always scrutinizing him. Sure, they were a friendly enough bunch; but that didn’t change the fact that he didn’t trust them, and they’d have to be fools to trust him. Hell, he still didn’t trust spacers he had known half his life. Though, most of them were pirates, or had sold him out at one time or another. This fresh-faced crop from the Academy was like a whole different type of person. Silver didn’t know what to say, or how to act. For once he wished he was smaller, a bit less himself.

Silver let out a relieved breath when he reached his quarters, closing the door tight behind him. Jim had managed to give him a small room off the galley, just big enough to string up his hammock. It wasn’t much, but it meant a lot. Silver lowered himself down to perch on his sea chest, his back resting against the wall of the ship. Damn, but it felt good to get off his feet for a second. He stretched out his cybernetic leg, carefully flexing the joints and checking for any burrs in the smooth motions.

This was another reason he was so grateful for the private space. He knew the rig wasn’t the prettiest by any standards. He tried to keep the crew on his right side, didn’t want to give them a full eyeful. Best if they could forget for half a second that he was a mechanical hybrid, kept alive by clicking gears and sheer stubbornness.

The only one he wasn’t afraid of seeing his left was Jim. The lad had changed plenty in the past five years, but Silver never felt the need to hide. If anything he felt a warm glow if he ever caught Jim’s eyes lingering too long.

He had always been fond of Jim, but seeing him grown up had definitely shed a different light on Silver’s feelings. The lad had become a mighty fine lookin’ man, and you couldn’t blame Silver for maybe enjoying that. He had never been overly particular about his pleasures, or the partners he found. He let his mind’s eye linger on the planes of Jim face, tracing the string jaw, the sweep of his cheekbone, the expressive green eyes.

Satisfied with the state of his rig, Silver pushed himself off the chest, and heaved his weight into the hammock. It had been odd, getting used to such unsteady sleeping conditions, but he had managed the trick of it by now. As he lay back and relaxed, his mind turned back to thoughts of Jim. He had seen the lad on deck, reaching up to adjust the solar sails. His shirt had ridden up, exposing the vee of the muscles in his stomach, leading down below his waistband. Silver’s mouth had gone dry at the site, but he couldn’t pull his eyes away from the smooth skin. His hand went to his groin, pressing a palm against his cock as it began to take interest.

He left his mechanical hand roam, squeezing his thighs, chest, stomach, for extra stimulation. He let himself imagine Jim staring at him, wanting him. It had been so long since he had been so attracted to somebody, and honestly the past days on the _Reverence_ had him feeling almost like a young buck again.

Silver fumbled with his belt, exposing his cock. He started stoking, slowly but deliberately running his hand up the shaft. He focused again on Jim’s face, the intensity of his eyes and those fucking lips. Jim’s face was so expressive and Silver couldn’t look away from his mouth, how it moved, how soft those lips looked. He wanted those lips at the head of his cock, teasing them before he slipped into Jim’s hot, wet mouth.

His hand sped up, adding a rough twist at the end of each stroke. It was bordering on too much, but Silver kept up the rhythm. Precum began to bead at his slit, and he spread it with his thumb, easing the roughness a bit. Fuck, but it had been so long since he had been with anybody. It was natural then, to want this so bad, to ache for it.

Silver’s thighs began to tense as he neared his release. He came with a groan, choked off at the end. The orgasm felt like a kick to his gut, with how fast he had reached it. At this rate he’d be embarrassing himself should he ever get a partner. He cleaned himself up efficiently, doing up his belt.

When Silver lay back into his hammock he realized how wrong this had been, fantasizing about Jim. He was more than twice as old as the lad. Silver knew that Jim would never think about him in the same way, never feel the same attraction.

He fell into a fitful sleep, determined to hide this shameful experience from Jim. He wouldn’t flirt, he wouldn’t even look anymore. Jim was too good for him by far. Silver couldn’t imagine breaking his trust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter this week, just ramping the story up a bit. Bigger things will be in store next time!
> 
> Any scientific inaccuracies are mine, sorry if they're glaring. I don't know anything about radioactivity, and not a lot more about chemistry lab work.
> 
> A new scene was added at the end of this chapter on 9/14, this was the original plan but I couldn't fit it in at time of publishing. It's been revised, and I'll be working on Ch. 7. Updates will be sporadic from here on out, but I believe that this will be finished eventually.


	7. Chapter 7

The first thing Jim noticed about the mining planet was all the dust. It hung in the air like a thick, oppressive blanket. It scratched his nose, dried his throat, and grit stung as it collected at the corners of his eyes. The second thing he noticed was the noise- a low, omnipresent rumble that seemed to be magnified when his feet touched the planet’s surface.

Lucette had managed to send a message ahead through the private signal relay used on Freundii. They had intercepted all incoming and outging messages on the channel first, monitoring communication. A day before they arrived she sent out a short missive, from an encrypted source. It was vague enough that it wouldn’t raise any suspicion and Jim and Silver as they disembarked.

Luckily their message had been answered and there was a mining representative on the docks, waiting for two interested ‘merchant gentlemen’. Hedged smuggling goods were more than common on Freundii, and Jim and Silver’s cover would allow them to blend in. Not to mention Silver was notorious enough to be a known smuggler, even here.

Jim had dressed for the occasion, wearing a pair of shining knee high boots, the type favored by wealthy flyboys. He wore a jacket with enough gold braid to be his academy dress blues, but it was slung lazily over his shoulders like he could care less. All in all he was the picture of a young hotshot, with contacts under the table.

Jim took a deep breath and strode over to the representative, a confident grin on his face. The one problem was that Jim was posing as head of the operation here. Since Silver wouldn’t have travelled with anything less than an equal partner Jim had decided to take the lead. He hoped that it would make the pair more attractive to Anax. With Jim’s youth and Silver skills, they were hoping to be taken into the fold, or at least learn a bit more about the LD stored here. Of course this meant that Jim was pretending to have skills applicable as a prospective member of a drug cartel. He was lacking in just about all of them, except for sailing and fighting, but even that was Naval training, and liable to give him away.

Silver and Jim had spent hours together through late night, putting together Jim’s cover. He was an academy drop-out. Clever for sure, but a natural born troublemaker who stifled under authority. From there he had become a drifter, taking up all sorts of petty crime across solar systems, before meeting up with his old associate. Honestly, Jim felt that the cover was maybe a bit too on the head. He had certainly entertained the idea enough throughout his Academy years.

Once his cover story had been solidified, Silver had taught Jim how to fight dirty. Both of them hoped that it wouldn’t come to violence, but it was better to be prepared in any case. Jim had picked out a knife, the blade a couple inches long and wickedly sharp, definitely not something he would have used in the Academy. He carried the blade at his side, hidden in a flat thigh holster.

Walking off the _Reverence_ onto Freundii, Jim reached for the hilt of the knife, running his fingers over the leather grip. The touch helped ground him, and Jim pulled his shoulders back. His face changed, from open and friendly to a haughty coldness, with just a hint of a sneer in the set of his lips. It was the face he had seen all too often at the Academy, somebody who had money and connections, somebody who was above the law.

The guide who was there to meet Jim was a very different figure. Bandy-legged, with an almost scuttling gait, he reminded Jim of an oversized beetle despite his human features.

Jim walked down the gangplank to meet their guide, “This place certainly is, industrial…” he said, letting himself look thoroughly unimpressed at Freundii.

“Yes, yes. We have some of the most productive mines for five star systems! Very industrial indeed.” The guide answered, in a high pitched and fawning tone. Jim wouldn’t trust this guy as far he could throw him, but at least he didn’t have to pretend to like him.

“Let’s see them then, I think you have something I’d be interested in. I need to assess the quality of the material you export, and then we can talk business.” Jim walked off, leading the way to the mines as if he knew where he was going. He was just playing t fake it ‘til you make it, nobody will be brave enough to question you. At least Jim hoped that was the case, because he didn’t really have a back-up plan in case somebody did wonder who he was.

He let off a short whistle between his teeth, and heard Silver heading down the gangplank at his signal. At least he wasn’t completely alone. Plus a thigh cannon wasn’t a terrible Plan B if it came to that.

So Jim and Silver simply waltzed in to what they hoped was a secret drug smuggling base, with nothing more than a fake letter of introduction. Jim was on high alert behind his relaxed posture. Honestly, he was surprised that they had managed to get as far as this with no problems so far. It was almost like a cloud impending danger was hanging over him as they walked into the entrance of the mines. Their guide had been chattering nonsense at Jim since they had started off, and now Jim tuned in to listen.

“…opening of a fine vein of indium here. Very important in solar panels you see. Quite a profitable venture. Of course it’s been mostly dug out by now, but they’re working on opening another vein.”

“Yes, yes.” Jim said, in an impatient tone. “I have to say I’m not overly impressed by what used to be mined here. What’s your current export tonnage? Main source of revenue?”

Their guide squirmed at bit at the last question. “Well, you see it’s a quite well diversified operation. Hard to say what brings in the most profit.”

Jim watched him evade the question, realizing that Anax had more sway on this planet than he had imagined. It was clear the Freundii mines had fallen on hard time, quite possibly racked up an enormous amount of debt. When a cartel had come in and boosted business once again, the whole operation had become barely more than a cover. Seeing as how everybody here was in on it, Jim decided to show their cards a little.

“Really? I heard the mines have come into quite a profitable new venture.”

“Well, yes. Things have been going well for us, record earnings last quarter!” Their guide replied, still dancing around Jim’s questions.

Jim decided to go bold, his luck had held so far. “Look, you and I both know that the new money here is coming from what you’re digging up. I’m not interested in buying shares of indium, or even gold if you had it on this planet. I know what comes out of these mines, and I want in.” In the silence after his words Jim steeled himself to stay calm, to not crack under the pressure.

He heard Silver choke off a gasp of surprise behind him, turning it into a cough. The guide nearly turned white at Jim’s words, the blood draining out of his face.

“I see you are truly a man who knows his business then. I-I’ll take you to the shipping depot. I think you’ll find it very interesting indeed.”

Jim nonchalantly brushed a lock of hair behind his ear, disguising the fact that his heart was racing. “That does sound more like it.”

The bare rock mining tunnels they had been walking through came to an end at a thick steel door, looking like the entrance to a high security vault. Jim could spot a retinal scan, a keypad and a card reader. Whatever was behind the door was some heavy duty stuff.

Despite all the security around the door, nobody seemed to be questioning who was being brought through. Jim kept that in mind. He never knew if he would have to sneak into a cartel base of operations again. Once inside the door, the shipping base nearly took his breath away. This place was massive. At one point it had to have housed a fleet of mining excavators, but now it was packed to the gills with illegal contraband.

The ceiling must have been more than five stories high, and Jim could barely make out the far end of the room. The _Reverence_ could have fit inside at least twenty times over. The walls were lined with crates, and hover-lifts were everywhere moving them through the convoluted shipping system. Jim saw a near forest of weed under grow lights, crates full of every weapon from flamethrowers down to undetectable laser pistols, pallets stacked high with gold bars. But this was all window dressing to the main product, kilos on kilos of white powders and pills. Jim sure hoped Silver’s cybernetic eye was taking pictures, because he could barely believe what he was seeing.

“I have to say, I’m rather impressed at the size of the operation.” Jim said, even permitting himself a low whistle. “I didn’t have high expectations for such a backwater location.”

“Backwater cops are the easiest to bribe,” Their guide responded with an uncomfortably toothy smile. “Freundii has really been a blessing in disguise for the operation as a whole.”

“Now of course it’s too early to make a call on how much I would like to set aside for this venture, I can certainly say I’d be very interested in becoming a part of your organization.” Jim said, trying to play the part without looking too eager. “Besides funding, I have a considerable skillset to offer.”

“I do believe you are just the type of man our organization has been seeking.”

Jim said a silent thanks to Lucette. Whatever she had said to get him in this position was more than he had hoped. “Let’s shake on it then. I need to get back to a place with decent signal to be able to hash out the details with my financial team, but consider it a sign of my goodwill.”

“I would be happy to return your goodwill in kind, sir.”

Jim shook hands with the guide. His palms were so sweaty he was afraid it would blow the whole operation, but their guide never broke from his toothy grin.

“Before you gentlemen are on your way, please take a sample.” The guide tossed a small bag, containing LD to Jim. “New formulation, we amped up the strength. You’ll be glad to be in for the bottom floor of this.”

Jim caught it one-handed and pocketed it with a smirk, “Can’t say no to offer like that.” He turned and walked out the door, careful to put just enough swagger in his step. Silver mutely followed behind, on his guard and scanning every inch of the complex. Jim couldn’t blame him, he wasn’t used to being this lucky.

Before he knew it they were standing on the surface of Freundii again, the dry desert air almost smelling sweet with promise despite the dust. It was a struggle for Jim not to run back to the _Reverence_. They had fucking done it! Snuck in right under the nose of Anax and come out again without a scratch. He felt unstoppable. Jim’s heart fluttered in his chest, ecstatic at the simple joy of living to see another day.

The gangplank creaked under their feet as the pair boarded. Tysha was at the wheel, giving them more than a raised eyebrow when she saw both of them back, without anybody in pursuit.

“Get us off this goddamn planet.” Jim said, his heart lifting as the thrusters took the ship into the atmosphere. Silver sidled over to the wheel, giving Tysha the coordinates to one of his old smuggler hideouts. They had wanted to lay low after this no matter what happened, give themselves time to think.

Jim couldn’t stop grinning as his eyes fixed on the cyborg. He couldn’t believe the two of them had done it. He wanted to hug the big man, wanted to whoop and yell to the stars. All the nervous energy he had been carrying back there was turning itself into a burst of adrenaline.

Silver came over and gave him a thump on the back that almost sent Jim sprawling, “Way to keep your head lad! I’ll admit I near broke out me blaster and broke us out of there a coupla’ times I was so on edge. Ye’ve got nerves of steel, no doubt about it.”

“I was so nervous the whole time, I swear you were able to hear my heart thumping away. But they fell for it, hook line and sinker!”

“Well done, a great piece of actin’ if I do say so meself.”

“What can I say, I learned from the best.” Jim said, giving Silver a thump on the arm in return with a wide smile.

“If I was as smooth as ye Hawkins I’d be a richer man by far!” Silver let out a deep belly laugh as the pair joked around. “I think extra grog rations are in order tonight, for celebratin’.”

Jim shrugged, “Sounds like a plan, I’m just going to go dump my gear.” The gold braid on his jacket was beginning to scratch his neck, and he couldn’t wait to get out of the pinching boots.

He headed down to his cabin, taking the stairs two at a time. He threw off the jacket carelessly, and then hesitated when a small bag fell out of the pocket. It was the bag of LD he had been slipped. He picked it up, but a metallic glint caught his eye.

Opening the bag, he managed to fish out a small metallic disk out of the white powder. He held it up to get a closer look, a sense of dread beginning to brew under his breastbone.

Suddenly a shudder wracked through his body, making him drop the small disk. His mind went blank as heat raced up his spine.

When Jim regained control of his limbs, his thoughts were scrambled, and his dick had gone rock hard. He tried to string together thoughts about the powder, but he kept getting distracted by the aching hardness. He pressed the heel of his hand to his erection, trying to ease the heat building inside him.

His hands weren’t enough, his thoughts swam with thoughts of mouths, tongues, warmth and tight wetness. He needed somebody else to touch him, to get rid of this state.

One person swam to the forefront of his mind. Silver, he wanted Silver. No, he needed Silver. Needed Silver to take care of him.

Jim stumbled out of his quarters toward the galley, weaving back and forth like he had been drinking. His breath came in hard pants, and sweat was beading at his brow. God, even the friction on his skin from his clothes was bordering on too much.

Jim slammed through the entrance of the galley, breathing hard.

Silver looked up from the joint he had been chopping for dinner, startled by the sudden appearance in his kitchen. “Jim, lad? Is somethin’ wrong? Ye aren’t lookin’ quite yourself…” He trailed off as Jim made his way over to Silver with an unsteady gait.

“Not feeling quite myself.” Jim slurred, before collapsing onto Silver. He sagged against the cyborg, tangling his hand in the lapels of Silver’s coat. “I…I need you to help me out.”

Silver’s brow furrowed at what Jim was saying, before widening in surprise. Jim had begun to grope at his belt with a clumsy hand. “Jus’ lemme do this for you,” he slurred, pressing his dick into Silver’s thigh. “Gonna feel so good.”

Silver pulled back, “Lad. Ye’re out of yer head. You don’ want this. Not with me.”

Jim whimpered and drew back closer, “God, I do. I’ve been thinkin’ ‘bout you every night. At… at the Academy. I would think of you. Dream ‘bout you. You made me feel so good when you held me. Thought ‘bout that feeling when… when I touched myself.”

“Fuck! Look at yerself lad! Yer shakin’ and sweatin’ like a drugged up harlot. I’m not doin’ this.”

“You want to though.” Jim said, squeezing Silver’s cock, which was beginning to harden at his clumsy touches. “You know I’d be so good.”

Silver put his hands on Jim’s shoulders and gave him a rough shove, “What did you take?!”

Jim didn’t like this development one bit. Silver was holding him back, and all he wanted to do was rub up on him, get his hands on that cock. “Nothin’. This is all me.”

Silver’s eyes narrowed, “Hawkins, what the fuck did you take?”

Jim struggled to think back to what had been going on, but his head felt like it was full of cotton. “Umm, the… there was a bag? I opened it because…” Jim couldn’t remember why he had opened the bag. There was a nagging feeling that he was forgetting something, but Silver tightened his grip and Jim almost passed out from the wave of heat in his groin.”

Something had clicked with Silver. “The LD?!? That would explain all this.”

Jim wanted to struggle, wanted to say that it wasn’t the LD. He had been telling truth, but his mouth wasn’t really working at the moment.

Silver slung his mechanical arm over Jim’s shoulders and half-shoved half-carried him back to the captain’s quarters, despite Jim’s desperate flailing. He pushed Jim down on to his bed. “Sleep it off Hawkins. With any luck ye won’t remember this happened ‘tween us.”

Silver walked out, slamming the door behind him, but Jim was too tangled in the sheets to follow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's probably not a surprise that 'sex pollen' showed up, it's the Chekov's gun of this story. This was originally going to be more explicit, but I realized this might read a bit too creepy if it was dubcon. I was not feeling it. But it just means we'll see the scene later ;).
> 
> Sorry for the slow updates, but like school is hard. On the bright side I've finally figured out where the plot is going for the next few chapters, this was as far as I had originally had plotted out. So yeah, we will see more of this story, but I can't promise when.
> 
> And thanks to all the readers who are still keeping up, leaving comments and kudos!


	8. Chapter 8

Jim woke up feeling somebody had stuffed his head with cotton. His tongue was thick and clumsy, and his throat was dry as sandpaper.

He sat up in bed, grabbing at a flask of water he kept in his rucksack under the bed. As he greedily swallowed, the day before began to come back in snatches of memory. The mines of Freundii were all still clear enough, especially the creepy vibe he had gotten from their guide. He could remember getting back to the ship okay too, how excited he had been by their success.

It was after that things starter to get fuzzier. He had dim notions of what could have happened, but it wasn’t coming back clearly. He focused on one thing at a time, like how the hell had he gotten to bed? And why were his boots still on?

Obviously he had taken something. But he wasn’t nauseous the way he got after too much drinking, so it had to have been something else. If he hadn’t found himself still on the _Reverence_ Jim thought he might have been drugged. Suddenly the image of that little baggie of LD that the guide had tossed to him flashed through his mind. Somehow he must have gotten some in his system.

When he realized what had happened, the images of last night began to resolve into proper memories. He could remember somebody guiding him back, leaning on a broad shoulder. Jim remembered how the LD had made him feel, dizzy and thrown off balance- but also so open and raw, wanting so bad.

Jim thought of the wanting, hot in him and all encompassing. All it made him think about was Silver. The man’s broad chest, crooked smile, warm musky smell, and overwhelming size. He pictured how Silver’s muscular thighs would feel under his hands, the press of his stomach, how he would hold Jim like nothing else mattered. But those thoughts weren’t images from last night, they had the well worn quality of fantasies that Jim had harbored for years. Images of what might have been if he had never gone to the Academy.

Finding Silver had never just been about the mission. Jim had always wanted to reunite with the cyborg. Some days at the Academy it was the only thing that kept Jim going. The speech Silver had given on the deck of the _Legacy_ had always stuck with Jim- “You got the making of greatness in ye, but you got to take the helm and chart your own course.” Those words had rattled around in his head for years. Not just what Silver had said, but the tone of utmost faith that they were true. At that point in his life Jim had never had anybody believe in his abilities, believe that he was going to be greater than what life had handed him. That faith had sustained him, had driven him to prove his worth at the Academy. Hell, even after all these years he had only won over respect grudgingly.

As much as Jim cherished that memory, it began to take on a new light when he reflected on it late at night. He wanted the comfort, that closeness back. Leaning into Silver, feeling the solid warmth underneath the cyborg’s shirt. Those nights alone, he had begun to want. Wanted Silver to hold him close again, wanted to touch, wanted to be touched.

Jim had imagined his reunion with Silver a thousand times. There had never been a doubt in his mind that they would find each other again. Hell, sometimes the thought of grabbing a skiff and setting off across the Etherium to find him had been the only thing that kept him going. They could have a little schooner together, hang around the tropical Proteus 6. Jim could tan in the rigging while Silver stripped down to his shirtsleeves on deck. Easy banter, an arm thrown over each other, nothing else would matter outside of the deck. And if there were some lustful gazes and heated touches, well, who was there to judge?

Seeing Silver again in the flesh back at the tavern had sent Jim reeling. The cyborg had barely changed, and suddenly old feelings began to well up. He knew the rest of the crew hadn’t mentioned it, but ever since Silver had come aboard Jim had had a new energy. The hole in his gut that had been tugging at him had seemed to grow a bit smaller, and he felt easier. But it wasn’t just that. All the complicated feelings he had had aboard the _Legacy_ had come roaring back, only grown worse for the five years he had held them at bay.

He tried to tell himself it was all strictly normal, rediscovering a father figure. He had felt that way about Silver at one point. Giving him five years to pine after the man had changed something though. It was no longer as easy between them. Jim started to notice the lulls in the conversation going tense, eyes meeting for a couple second too soon before they both looked away, Jim feeling a blush creeping up the back of his neck. Nothing had changed but at the same time everything had changed. He had grown up, and couldn’t slip back into the friendship the same way.

The desire had been there before the LD, but the drug crystallized it, tearing his inhibitions down. Jim wasn’t ashamed by his actions. The memory of the weight of Silver’s cock in his hand still sent a shiver up Jim’s spine. He still wanted that, wanted to let Silver know he was serious

Jim pushed himself out of bed, barely pausing to run his fingers through the tangled mess of his hair. Why hide the truth from Silver any more? They could both lie and pretend it never happened, or he could fess up and hoped they got further the second time. It was a slim chance, but damn if Jim wasn’t feeling like betting on it right now. He looked at himself in the small mirror above the sink, last night’s clothes, tangled hair, and scruff on his cheeks. It would have to do, he didn’t have time to back down.

He strode toward the galley, blood creeping up his neck at each footfall. Yeah, he was damn nervous, but what was there to lose? The relationship with the person he trusted most? Well, yeah, maybe that. But, honestly, Jim knew that even if Silver turned him down he didn’t want to let that cyborg go. They could probably still manage some sort of friendly relationship, and Jim could keep his pining to himself.            

Before he knew it Jim was pushing through the door of the galley, and walking up to the edge of the counter. Silver startled at the sound of the door swinging closed, turning around to see a very disheveled Jim.

“Jim, didn’t expect to see ye up so early!”

Jim leaned over the counter, pushing the hair out of his face. “Yeah, I wanted to talk with you.”

“If it’s about last night lad, not to worry. We’ve all done things we regret. ‘specially when yer not in yer right mind.” Silver mimed zipping his lips, “Don’ worry, I won’t tell a soul.”

“It is about last night.” Jim said, taking a deep breath, “I meant what I said. I know I wasn’t thinking straight, but it wasn’t the first time I’ve thought about it. Just the first time I’ve been brave enough to fess up.”

Silver looked up from the dish he was washing, putting it down carefully. He walked over to the counter where Jim was, and leaned down, looking across at him. “Jim, don’t be pullin’ me leg here.” He said softly, then managing a half-hearted smirk, “I’ve only got the one left after all, lad.”

Fuck, this wasn’t working out how Jim had planned. Honestly there hadn’t been a plan, but even if there had been it definitely had gone awry by now. He froze, unable to think. His eyes locked with Silver, and the moment stretched between them, elastic. But Jim thought he saw something there, something that said Silver didn’t really want this to be a joke.

He leaned forward slowly over the narrow counter, until his lips met Silver’s. It was tentative and gentle, barely more than a simple brush of lips before he pulled back. “I don’t know when I started wanting you. But I do, I want you so bad.” He said, voice low but thick with emotion.

Silver didn’t say anything. Jim’s heart started beating so hard he thought the other man would be able to hear it pounding. He blinked, and turned away, breaking eye contact. He had taken his shot, and misjudged it all. Silver want this, didn’t want him. Jim could survive this, but it was probably best if he didn’t stick around.

A split second before he took his first step away, a warm hand wrapped itself through the hair at the back of his head, Silver dragged Jim into a kiss, blisteringly hot in comparison to the first tentative touch. Silver’s organic fingers twined through Jim’s hair, the nails lightly scratching his scalp and sending shivers down Jim’s spine.

The kiss was so good. Jim felt overwhelmed by Silver, the taste, the heat the presence of him. He could drown in this kiss and die happy, live in the moment for the rest of his life. He parted his lips, and felt Silver respond to the movement. Jim broke the kiss for a split second to scramble over the counter between them, needing to feel Silver close, press himself into the bulk of him. He sat down at the edge of the counter, the perfect height to keep kissing.

Jim wrapped his hands around the back of Silver’s neck, pulling him closer. Silvers hand stayed wrapped in Jim’s hair, but his other one reached for Jim’s hip, gripping so tightly Jim could feel the edge of each pad digging in through his pants. That was okay though, Jim couldn’t believe the effect Silver could have on him from just this. His fantasies were a dim candle compared to the real thing. It was just so much, and Jim felt like he could melt in the cyborgs hands.

Their kisses grew deeper, Silver’s tongue venturing further in Jim’s mouth. Honestly he hadn’t expected to be necking like a teenager, but fuck if he wanted anything else right now. Jim hooked his leg over Silver’s hip, pressing himself against the cyborg’s thigh. Silver pressed back, the length of his hard cock against Jim’s thigh. Suddenly Jim was most definitely interested in that. He ground his dick against Silver, trying to get some release for the ache had been building since he had walked into the galley.

The friction through all the clothing wasn’t enough for Jim, he wanted to feel Silver, to know what he looked like under those layers. He broke the kiss, pulling off his shirt, and pressing back against Silver’s belly. Jim hadn’t grown much taller since his time on the _Legacy_ , but he had still changed quite a bit. His shoulders were broad, and his arms were corded with muscles. He was trim, with a defined stomach. His pecs were well shaped with a scattering of dark brown hair, and he had a happy trail starting at his navel.

Silver put a hand on Jim’s shoulder, leaning him back. “Let me get a good look at ye, Jimbo. God knows I haven’t been able to take my eyes off of ye since the tavern. Walked in lookin’ like on of the best things I’ve ever seen.” Silver leaned in close to suck at Jim’s neck, making him moan. “And ye’re even better lookin’ like this, all flushed and desperate.”

Jim managed to choke out a reply, even as Silver scraped his teeth against Jim’s neck, sending a shiver up his spine. “Wouldn’t be so desperate if you hadn’t waited so long. Thought it was obvious that I was a holding a torch since I searched you out.”

“Guess we’re just a clueless pair. Wonder we ever managed to make it this far.” Silver replied, then kissing Jim’s exposed collarbones. “Ye’re just as sweet for all the wait though.”

“Just don’t make me wait any longer.” Jim said, panting at the touch of Silver’s mouth on his skin. “I want to see you, want to touch after all the time you spent teasing.”

Silver pulled back, and tugged off his shirt with his organic hand in a smooth movement. The movement let Jim see the muscles shift under his skin, the biceps and the shoulder defined despite Silver’s bulk. Jim had already been up close and personal with Silver’s mechanical arm, but had never seen the base before, the paler ropes of scar tissue that stretched out from the shoulder on Silver’s tan skin. A pair of swallows was tattooed on his chest, one over each pectoral. Reddish brown hair covered his chest, and ran in a line down Silver’s stomach.

Jim could feel himself throbbing with need at the sight of Silver. He was a mix of softness and strength. Jim wanted to take him apart, wanted to make him moan with need. He pushed himself off the counter, running one hand through Silver’s chest hair while the other reached around his belly. Jim rested his head on the top curve of Silver’s stomach as he reveled in his ability to touch freely.

“God, you can’t imagine how bad I wanted all of this. I want to make you feel so good.” Jim looked up, making eye contact with Silver. The cyborg looked like he could just about be knocked over with a feather, his eye glazed over with pleasure. He slowly stepped forward, until Silver was pressed up against the wall of the galley.

When Silver’s back hit the rough wood, Jim pulled him down into a searing kiss. One of Jim’s hands went to the cyborg’s shoulder, pinning him against the wall while the other was tugging at the hair at the nape of Silver’s neck. Silver moaned deep in his throat, the sound making a shower of sparks go off in Jim’s mind. He managed to slot himself even closer to Silver, pushing his knee between Silver’s legs and pressing himself against his stomach. The feeling of skin against skin, the heat from Silver and just the sheer size of the cyborg was driving Jim insane. All his fantasies couldn’t hold a candle to the real thing.

Jim kept his hand on Silver’s shoulder, but moved his mouth down. He licked a stripe across one of the tattooed swallows, and moved to graze Silver’s nipple with his teeth, sending a shudder through him. His other hand had been moving down Silver’s body, and lightly squeezed the head of his cock through his pants.

“F-Fuck Jim.” Silver’s voice was hoarse and gravelly. His hands had been pressed against the wall, but his mechanical hand grabbed the curve of Jim’s back. Jim could feel the edges of the fingerpads digging into his skin, the bottom one resting at the top of his ass.

“Please, let me suck your cock.” Jim squeezed incrementally to emphasize his point. He had imagined himself doing that in some of his hottest fantasies, taking control and taking Silver apart with his mouth.

“Yes, fuck yes.” Silver replied, his organic hand tangling in Jim’s hair, a heavy warmth on his scalp. “I don’t need to be asked twice.”

Jim went to his knees, his hands to Silver’s belt, fumbling with buckle before managing to pull it free. He pulled Silver’s pants open, his dick bouncing upward once freed from the cloth. It was quite possibly one of the hottest things Jim had ever seen. Silver’s cock was a touch as his forearm, and just as thick. The head was flushed a dark red and shiny with precum, and the foreskin wasn’t fully retracted. The prominent vein on the underside caught Jim’s eye, he could practically see it throbbing.

He gave the vein a tentative lick, following the texture up the length of Silver’s shaft. When he reached the head he circled his tongue around it lightly, listening to the gasps Silver made with the movement. Jim repeated the motion, with more pressure, moving from teasing to a firmer touch.

“Pass the oil.” Jim said, looking up to make eye contact with Silver. Silver extended his mechanical arm, grabbing a small bottle off a nearby shelf, without moving from his spot against the wall. Jim took it, pouring a bit into his palm, and slicking up Silver’s cock with quick motions. “It’s better if you’re nice and slick.” Jim said, adding at twist at the end of his last stroke, earning him a low “Fuck!” from Silver.

Once Jim was satisfied with the amount of lube, he got back to licking. He stroked the base of Silver’s dick with his hand, and ran his tongue around the head. He occasionally let it dip under the foreskin, making Silver gasp and buck against him. Jim’s free hand went to Silver’s hip, steadying him. His hand sped up the stroking motion as Jim got the head into his mouth, giving it a light suck. His tongue found the frenulum, giving short licks against it in time with his hand.

Silver’s dick was thick. And Jim’s mouth was stretched to even get the first couple inches in his mouth. The stretch made his mouth water, spit running down his chin. He tried moving back and forth with his hand, leaving just the tip in his mouth before swallowing it down until the head hit the back of his throat. Silver’s organic hand tightened, pulling Jim’s hair enough so that he felt a sharp zing of pain. But the noises Silver was making were worth it, filthy moans and curses under his breath. Each one made Jim want to hit that spot again, until the sensations were too much, too good. His hand moved from Silver’s hips to his balls, tugging lightly. It caused a new spurt of precum to well up, which Jim licked at greedily.

The noises Silver was making grew more breathy and erratic. Jim could feel how hard the cyborg’s cock was in his mouth, and he could almost feel it throb as he stroked up and down.

“Fuck, Jim. I’m gonna…” Silver said. Jim took Silver’s dick as far as he could, sucking harder. Silver came down his throat, Jim making sure not to choke as he swallowed it down. He couldn’t quite manage the last few drop, and they dripped down his chin with saliva and the oil they had used.

Jim leaned back, keeping a light touch on Silver’s dick, feeling the aftershocks pulsing through it. He gazed up at Silver as the cyborg stroked his scalp.

“Jim Hawkins, ye’re such a debauched mess right now I’d be worried if I didn’t find it so damn hot.” Silver pulled Jim up and leaned down to kiss him, tasting himself in Jim’s mouth.

“I’ll show you how hot I can be.” Jim said with a wink as he walked back over to the counter. He took off his pants and hopped up to the ledge. Jim had always been a bit of a show-off, but this was definitely taking him out of his comfort zone. But damn if he didn’t want to put on a show for Silver. He took a deep breath and spread his legs, giving Silver a good view.

Silver had taken a couple steps forward from the wall, but still was far out of reach of Jim. “Can I get a closer look, lad?”

“You can look as much as you want.” Jim said, glad that there was no trace of nervousness in his voice. He started stroking his dick loosely, spreading precum down his shaft. He had been hard the entire time he had been blowing Silver, so his dick was flushed purple and straining by now. It wouldn’t take much to get him off, but he wanted to make the best of it.

Jim let out a low moan, his grip was tight enough to be right on the edge of pain. Silver walked closer, until he was just within arms reach of Jim. Jim reached out to grab his shoulder, and Silver sank to his knees, right between Jim’s legs.

Jim kept his eyes locked on Silver. His thumb reached out to stroke Silver’s cheek, and the cyborg leaned into the touch. Jim swore he could feel the warm ghost of silver’s breath on his dick, the proximity making his balls tighten. In all his fantasies he had never dared imagine this scene. It felt so dirty, but Jim didn’t want to stop. The feeling of control was intoxicating, knowing that Silver wanted him so fucking bad.

He could feel the orgasm building at the base of his spine. Jim came with a bitten off yell, bucking his hips with his release.  His come striped the side of Silver’s face, and Jim wanted to save that image for the rest of his life. He slumped back bonelessly, suddenly exhausted.

“Now you’re the mess.” Jim said, swiping at Silvers face with his thumb.

“Come on, lets get cleaned up.” Silver said, pushing up against the counter to get back to his feet, grabbing his pants from where he had thrown them down on the floor. Jim followed, pulling on his own pants.

Silver grabbed a rag, running it under warm water. He swiped it across the dried mess on Jim’s face, and gently wiped off his softening dick. Jim returned the favor, pressing a kiss to the edge of Silver’s mouth when he was done.

“So, uhh, need any help with breakfast?” Jim said once he was dressed, shifting his weight awkwardly from side to side.

“I s’ppose I could use a hand peeling the potatoes. That is if ye’re not too good for that now.” Silver said with a smirk.

“I may be the captain, but this is your kitchen.” Jim said with a mock salute. He grabbed a pairing knife and sat down in a sunny spot on the galley bench, enjoying the easy silence as he started working through the pile.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays! I think 2 months a chapter is going to be the norm from here on out sadly, turns out higher education is hard. I loved all the comments and encouragement I got! You guys were all so nice, so this chapter ended up being extra long. This chapter was one I had originally imagined ages ago when I though I was going to write a porny two-shot, and then a longer plot based fic. They ended up merging into this one story, which has the best of both. 
> 
> As far as plans for the rest of the story, I'd say we have about 2-4 chapters left in this saga. Next chapter will feature more of our ensemble cast, and plot, since this chapter was basically just smut.
> 
> Hope you guys liked it!


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